Jeanne (Kurella) Pasternak

Jeanne (Kurella) Pasternak, age 71, passed into the loving arms of Our Lord on Saturday, February 12, 2022, (her birthday) surrounded by family.  Jeanne is survived by her husband, Donald; her daughter, Susan (Christopher) Willett, sons James and Lawrence (Gloria) Gazafy; step-daughter, Tiffany (Edward) Lulofs; grandchildren, Kendra (Nathan) Herring, L.J., Emily (Tyler) Wegner, Brianna, Justin, Emily and the late Zachary James Gazafy; and five great-grandchildren; brother, Thomas Kurella; sisters, Margaret (Neal) Tierney, Linda (Lawrence) Okamura, Diane (late Tony) Slusarczyk, Laura (Richard Taylor) Kurella and the late Nancy (Stephen) Gormley; many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at 1:00pm at the Baran Funeral Home, 1235-119^th St., Whiting; a Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 1:30pm at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Whiting, with the Rev. Mark R. Peres, C.PP.S., officiating; cremation to follow; visitation at the funeral home on Saturday from 9:00am to time of services. (Due to the current health situation face masks are required at the funeral home and social distancing is expected.) Expressions of sympathy may be placed online at www.baranfh.com. The Mass of Christian Burial for Jeanne will be live streamed at www.stjohnbap.org

A life-long resident of the Calumet Region, Jeanne was the daughter of the late Albert and Florence (Pramuk) Kurella. Attending St. John School and Church, Jeanne graduated from George Rogers Clark High School in 1969, then married and raised three children. A devoted wife and mother, Jeanne was a Cub Scout troop mom, a team mom, and a dedicated supporter of the POW/MIA efforts, which included the creation of a t-shirt designed to raise awareness for our servicemen left behind. Possessing many talents, Jeanne worked as a seamstress at Army-Navy Surplus and as a fabric specialist at Joann Fabrics. She also worked for many years as a custodian at St. John the Baptist School and she served for more than twenty years as a Senior Tax Analyst at H&R Block. Demonstrating a genius mind and creative resourcefulness, Jeanne was well-known for her inventive, out-of-the-box thinking, and ability to make just about anything with her own two hands. She was amazing, and often took payment in chocolate. A billiard enthusiast, Jeanne and her husband, Don enjoyed league play for numerous years, collecting many trophies. Loving the adventure of the open road, Jeanne treated herself to trips around the country and beyond, but was most fond of visits with grandchildren. A music aficionado, Jeanne enjoyed numerous concerts with family, and always looked forward to attending them. A champion of animal welfare, Jeanne found great pleasure in caring for countless critters, and supporting animal organizations, including local chapters of 2x2 Rescue and the Feline Community Network. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that those wishing to send memorials consider the St. John Church Steeple Restoration Fund, 2x2 Rescue, or Feline Community Network.

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