Cecilia H. Palka's Obituary
Cecilia H. (Babe) Palka, 74, of Amherst, formerly of Lorain, passed away peacefully with her family and friends by her side on January 12, 2015 following a brief illness. Born February 18, 1940, Cecilia attended Marymount High School in Garfield Heights and continued her nursing education and career in Vicksburg, Mississippi before returning home to Lorain to work at the former St. Joseph Hospital in 1966 and later Lorain Community Hospital (Community Health Partners) where she retired after over 40 years of nursing in 2004.
Cecilia, or Palka as she was called by her co-workers, began her career at St. Joseph’s as the head nurse on 2A and then became head nurse in the ICU. She also taught pharmacology at St. Joseph’s LPN School of Nursing where she became a mentor, advisor and life-long friend to many nurses thereafter. She also worked as a hospice nurse for New Life Hospice, an industrial nurse for the Ford Motor Company in Lorain, and in radiology at North Ohio Imaging Center. Palka was one of the first nurses in Lorain to be trained and certified to perform kidney dialysis. Her nursing skills, medical knowledge and dedication were respected by many of her fellow nurses and doctors.
An avid golfer, sports fan (Cleveland Indians, Ohio State) and animal lover, Cecilia also liked to read, travel, try her luck and dine out with friends and family. She was a life-long active member of the former St. Stanislaus Church of Lorain and belonged to the Nightingales, a social club for retired St. Joseph’s RNs. She felt that everyone was important, no matter what job they did, and always had a smile, joke or kind word for them. She will be greatly missed by family and friends.
She is survived by her brother, Walter Metka of Worthington and sister, Rose Gow, of Wellington along with many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Jane Palka of Lorain.
The family will receive friends on Friday, January 16, 2015 from 3-7 p.m. in the Dovin and Reber Jones Funeral & Cremation Center, 1110 Cooper Foster Park Rd., Amherst. Closing prayers will be held on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in the funeral center followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 200 St. Joseph Drive, Amherst. Rev. Fr. James Sheil will officiate. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery, Lorain.
Memorial contributions can be sent to the American Heart Association (www.heart.org)
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.dovinreberjones.com
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