Lela May Nagy, 76, Enjoyed Crossword Puzzles & Card Games

She was born July 22, 1932, the first of twin girls of her parents, Frederick & Pearl (Fitch) Gerber, at Sandusky Memorial Hospital, and was a lifelong Vermilion resident.

Lela was a “Class of 1951” graduate of Vermilion High School. As a young woman, she worked at the former White Inn Restaurant in downtown Vermilion where she met the young U.S. Army Air Corps pilot, John Nagy, of S. Amherst, Ohio. They were married in August 1951 and welcomed daughter, Judy Ann, into their lives in January 1955. Lela was a homemaker and stay-at-home mother for several years. She later worked in the cafeteria at South Street School, Vermilion, for 25 years, and at Lee’s Landing Gift Shop in Vermilion for more than 16 years, before retiring in 1996.

She was baptized at the United Church of Christ Congregational in Vermilion. Throughout her life, she enjoyed spending time with family and friends, family vacations in Florida, traveling to various parts of the United States, fishing and boat rides, dancing, gardening and flowers, spending time watching the activity, wildlife, and sunsets on Lake Erie, reading, sewing and crafts, playing card games, and she rarely went anywhere without a crossword puzzle book.

Survivors include her daughter, Judy Ann Nagy, and Judy’s companion, Steve Pullano, of Sandusky; her loving and caring companion of 6 years, Crist Winterstein, Vermilion; sisters, Irene (Gerber) Francis, of Plain City, Ohio, and Lavonne Croll of Corona, CA; and cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family members and many, many friends.

Preceding her in death were her husband of 47 years, John Nagy, Nov. 18, 1997; her parents, Fred & Pearl (Fitch) Gerber; her twin sister, Lila Stewart; sister, Lucille Tischer; brothers, Richard and Arthur; half-sister, Katherine Schmidt, and half-brothers, Leonard, Frederick (Fritz), Donald, and Nelson.

Friends may call Friday, April 10, 2009 from 4 - 8 p.m. at the Riddle Funeral Home, 5345 South Street, Vermilion, Ohio. Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 11, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home. Reverend Louis Bertoni will officiate. Interment will follow in Maple Grove Cemetery, Vermilion, Ohio.

Memorial contributions may be made in Lela’s memory to the Ritter Public Library Endowment Fund, 5680 Liberty Avenue, Vermilion, Ohio 44089; the American Cancer Society, 1050 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106; or to any charitable organization of the donor’s preference.

Online condolences may be made at www.riddlefuneralhome.com.