Katrina Roach

This is the story of Katrina F. (Hofmann) Roach. She loved to entertain and up until the very end made sure everyone was well fed while visiting at her bedside. She was blessed to be loved by many family and friends. Mom had an adventurous spirit and could cook for an army at a moment’s notice. Her motto was, “Nobody goes hungry on my watch!”Katrina came into the world on August 30, 1942, the middle child of Lawrence Hofmann and Katrina F. (Hickey) Hofmann.

She worshipped her older sister Mary and her little brother Mike, whom they both fought over to s-mother. After graduating from the Villa Maria Academy in Erie, PA, Katrina set her sights on business school and took the midnight train to Toledo, Ohio.  She met Sheila O’Connell (soon to be Rank) and the pair soon met their future husbands together.

Patrick Roach snatched her up quickly and before she knew it they had four children, Sean (Rachel) Roach of Eugene, OR; Wendy (Alex) Daudelin of Temperance, MI; Stacey (Jeff) Rice of Ashland, OR; and Erin Roach, of everywhere.

If Katrina couldn’t find a party, she would find any excuse to have extended family and friends get together for food, card games and laughs. She was a volunteer and rowdy cheerleader for the Bedford Band Boosters supporting the Bedford Wrestling throughout the ‘80’s spending many hours working concessions, and a bingo hall and yelling her heart out for the team. Her cooking skills became well known and often many, many wrestlers were found camped out around the house eating when she got home from work.

The family in her life were many, as she gave everyone she met (even at the grocery store) an invitation to come for dinner and become part of the family.

Katrina Roach, the bright beauty of “Dreary Erie”, was a wife, mother, closet comedian, and devoted Catholic. She was also a working mom who never hesitated to volunteer for school and church events. She was pleased to be on the “must call” list for any church or school function that needed food. As a self-proclaimed historian, she regaled everyone with memories of their life that only she would/could even want to remember, while she fed them a meal.

She took pride in always being present to support her kids, grandkids, and neighbors, in everything, whether they wanted her to or not. She showed her kids how to be generous, thoughtful and kind…and if they weren’t, they were in big trouble! Her biggest regret and failure was not being able to pass on her great cooking skills to her girls.

She had a life-long love for cheesecake, socializing, talking, talking, and weekly movie dates with her boyfriend of 53 years Pat, and reminiscing of her youth swimming in the cool, Lake Erie waters.

She excelled at raising kids and raising her voice, when necessary, stretching a penny, and cheering on the Mules, Wolverines and Oregon Ducks.

Loved ones welcoming her to heaven are her parents; dear brother, Mike, dear friend Sheila Rank; sister-in-law, Gail Roach; Aunt, Sister Ruth Hickey and others. Loved ones that will miss her dearly include her dearest sister, Mary (Ken) Holland of Erie, PA; dear friend, Carol Hartwell; all her children; grandchildren, Jordyn, Shane, Skylar and Kaleb Roach, Kyla and Bram Daudelin, and most of all her best friend, husband, caretaker and irresistible companion of 53 years, Patrick DeWayne Roach.

We are comforted to know that she is finally at rest after winning so many battles in a long, courageous fight against cancer. We know she’ll have a warm meal waiting for us when we can meet her again.

Visitation will be held Thursday, June 7, 2018 from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. in Urbanski’s Bedford Funeral Chapel 8300 Lewis Ave. Temperance, MI.  The Funeral Mass will be celebrated Friday, June 8, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Temperance, where she will lie in state after 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Mobile Meals of Toledo, to spread her love of comfort by food.