Cathy Shomaker Lees

Funeral services, celebrating the life of Cathy Shomaker Lees, 67, of Hebron, will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 in the chapel of the Kirkersville home of HOSKINSON Funeral and Cremation Service, with Pastors Matthew VanWinkle and Jim Hall as celebrants. Cathy will be laid to rest in the Kirkersville Cemetery with her parents Leland and Eleanor (Bonar) Shomaker.

Cathy died March 12 2021 following open heart surgery in Columbus. She was born in Newark on December 20, 1953, and she dedicated her life to early childhood education. She was Salutatorian of the class of 1972, Watkins Memorial High School, and received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Ohio State University in Childhood education.

She worked for Martin Farms while attending College, and then at the YMCA Pre School in Newark and later at Hebron Elementary, from where she retired in 2020. She also was the teacher and nursery attendant of the Sunshine Class at Kirkersville United Methodist Church her entire adult life.

Cathy could light up any room with her loving smile, and loved everyone’s children.

Selfless to the end, Cathy shared the gift of life with organ and tissue donation.

She is survived by her loving family: husband Roger, whom she married on November 19, 1978, her son David (Elyssa), her sister and brother-in-law Judy (Bob) Swingle, her brothers Jeff Shomaker, Tom (Connie) Shomaker and many loving nieces and nephews; and her aunt Emogene Shomaker. Her loving canine companion Sara, also survives her.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister Christy Anderton.

The family will receive friends on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home, 285 East Main St. in Kirkersville. Due to COVID 19 concerns, only thirty persons are allowed inside the funeral home at any one time and masks must be worn inside.

The family prefers that expressions of sympathy in the form of memorial contributions be directed to support the Sunshine Class at Kirkersville United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 7, Kirkersville, Ohio 43033.

HOSKINSON Funeral and Cremation Service, Kirkersville, is honored to care for Cathy and her family. www.hoskinsonfuneral.com