Lucy Obran, 64, Loving Wife, Mother, and Baba

She grew up to be an energetic, compassionate, and congenial woman, learning and loving the Macedonian Orthodox culture. She was in the 1977 Lorain International Festival as the first princess to represent Macedonia. Owing to her personality, she won Miss Congeniality in the Lorain International Festival Pageant. Following her graduation from Southview High School in 1977, she went on to pursue a career in sales and marketing at Lorain County Community College. During her employment at Paul Harris, a woman’s clothing store, she met her future husband Mark, and it was love at first sight.

In 1981, Mark and Lucy moved to Florida where she got a job in marketing for Harlequin Nature Graphics. Shortly after beginning her employment, Harlequin became an international benchmark for premiere wildlife designs. She worked there for approximately six years before she became pregnant with her first son, Mark Francis Obran II. Shortly after his birth, Mark and Lucy moved back to Ohio so they could be near family, where Lucy continued marketing for Habitat, The Mountain and other environmentally conscious companies. She gave birth to her second child, Matthias Christopher Obran on May 5, 1994.

Lucy formed the Perk Avenue Coffee Shop, EST. 2007, in Amherst, Ohio where she served coffee, smoothies, sandwiches, hamburgers, pastries and the world-renowned bourbon chicken wrap. Perk Avenue was closed in June of 2013 after bringing smiles and full bellies to the people of Amherst.

Shortly after closing Perk Avenue, Lucy was diagnosed with a particularly aggressive disease – Triple Negative Breast Cancer. She fought valiantly over the course of five years, in and out of doctor’s offices and hospitals for treatment. Throughout this time, she maintained her positive and upbeat attitude, never skipping an opportunity to spend time with the people she loved.

Although Lucy’s soul has departed from us, we celebrate her victory over cancer. She went where not pain, nor anguish, nor fear or cancer can follow. She went home, where she belongs.

She was preceded in death by her parents Kriste (Kico) and Nuna Ristofski. Survived by her husband, Mark. Sons, Mark II (Amy) Obran, Matthias (Brittany) Obran. Grandchildren Penelope Obran and Otto Obran. Her brother Spiro (Angela) Ristofski, niece Vesna Ristofski, nephew Ryan Ristofski and her uncle Nikola (Vladanka) Grpcevski.

Her family will receive friends at the Richard J. Reidy Funeral Home, 1783 East 31st Street, South Lorain, Monday, May 8, 2023 from 4 to 8 PM. Friends may also call Tuesday, May 9 at St. Clement of Ohrid Macedonian Orthodox Church, 38665 French Creek Road., Avon from 9 until her funeral at 10 AM. Very Rev. Father Vasil Manasiev, Pastor will officiate. Burial will follow at Elmwood Cemetery, Lorain.

For expressions of sympathy and further information please see, Reidyfuneral.com.