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Cecilia Kallay

Cecilia Viola Kallay of Weirton was born on July 6, 1922 and was determined in all that she pursued. Some may say her most memorable attribute was that she was a part of the “Greatest Generation,” but if you had asked her, her greatest accomplishment in life besides her family was celebrating her 100th birthday with them on Wednesday, July 6, 2022.

She was one of three children to Leon and Mary Bajek Cwiczynski, she passed peacefully on Sunday, August 7, 2022, while under diligent and conscientious care from the staff of the Weirton Geriatric Center.

Cecilia was strong in her faith. She nourished that faith throughout her life at the Sacred Heart of Mary Church in Weirton, where she was a member of the Christian Mothers, the Rosary Society, and their choir. In her spare time, she was a devoted Den Mother to Cub Scout Pack #63, she enjoyed playing her piano, watching both college and professional basketball with her sons, being attentive to her garden and fruit trees, and of course, keeping close watch over her beloved Gladiolus’.

You would often find Cecilia with her family enjoying their favorite TV shows, “I Remember Mama,” “The Honeymooners,” and as remembered by her daughter Karen, being forced to watch Bishop Fulton Sheen.

Her children described their mother as a very “inventive” individual, ensuring that everything would be utilized to its fullest extent, especially when it came to the dollar. One year she found a silk parachute that her husband Ernie brought home from WWII. Realizing promise in the fabric, she was able to use her ingenuity to make clothing for the family. She had a proclivity toward life that never swayed, utilizing what she had and turning those actions into life’s lessons.

Cecilia was a loving mother, a great inspiration, and a rock for all her family to build upon, she will be sadly missed and forever admired.

In addition to her parents, Cecilia was preceded by her husband Ernie R. Kallay, Sr., whom she married on December 30, 1941, and who passed away on March 7, 2010, brother Ted “Tee Gee” Cwiczynski, and sister Stella Cwiczynski.

Remembering Cecilia fondly with love are her children, sons Earnest (Sylvia) Kallay Jr., of Kalida, OH., Jerome (Sharon) Kallay of Richmond, OH., Kevin Kallay of Lake Forest, CA., Thomas (Judy) Kallay of Davidson, NC., daughter Dr. Karen Kallay of Redondo Beach, CA., grandchildren Dr. Aron Kallay, Shannon Dolan, and David Kallay, and six great-grandchildren.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, August 11, 2022, from 3-6:30 PM at the Greco-Hertnick Funeral Home 3219 Main Street, Weirton, WV., where a common Rosary will be recited at 6:30 PM.

A private family viewing will be held at Greco-Hertnick Funeral Home before mass on Friday.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 AM Friday, August 12, 2022, at Sacred Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church, 200 Preston Ave. Weirton.

A longtime friend to the Kallay Family Monsignor Thomas Welbers, a retired priest from the Arch Diocese of Los Angeles, will preside.

Cecilia will be laid to rest next to her husband at Saint Paul’s Cemetery.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Sacred Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church, Weirton.

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