Devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Emily Therese Szczutkowski, 89, of Colorado Springs, passed away on Sunday, October 1, 2017.
She was born on June 1, 1928 to Vincent and Mary (Pulkowska) Laszkiewicz of Erie and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one of twelve children. On August 31, 1946, after a whirlwind courtship, she married her soul mate, Bernard “Barney” John Szczutkowski, of Erie, Pennsylvania. Emily was a devoted Air Force wife and enjoyed living in new places as she and Barney were restationed throughout their marriage. Together, they had six children: Tina (Bob) Mika, Debby (George) Velenovsky, Karen (Stan, deceased) Szkarlat, Carol (Steven) Jost, Mark (Pamela Garl) Szczutkowski, and Lynne (Tom) Neiss—whom Emily raised with love and devotion. Emily and Barney were married for 54 years before his passing in 2000. Emily will be remembered for her easy smile and kind heart, her love of drinking hot water and going to lunch with the people she loved, and her everlasting faith.
Emily is preceded in death by her loving husband, Barney; her parents, Vincent and Mary; and her siblings, Walter, Therese, Anne, Sophie (Sr. Leonard), Henry, Martha, Helen, Irene, Leonard, and Virginia (Sr. Angeline). She is survived by her sister, Alice; her six children; her fourteen grandchildren; and her sixteen great-grandchildren.
Visitation with the family will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, October 9, 2017 at Shrine of Remembrance “America the Beautiful” Chapel, 1730 East Fountain Boulevard, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80910. A funeral mass for Emily will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, October 10, 2017 at Benet Hill Monastery, 3190 Benet Lane, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Benet Hill Monastery in Emily’s name.