Sydney Etta Gubala

Sydney Etta Gubala, 87 years, of Maumee, OH passed away Sunday, March 3, 2024 in Hospice of NW Ohio, Perrysburg. A loving and kind woman, she appreciated everyone and everything in her life.

The daughter of William and Margaret (Miller-Nash) Craig, she was born November 15, 1936 in Toledo. Sydney graduated from Libby High School in 1954 and from St. Vincent School of Nursing as an RN in 1957 and worked for 50 years as a nurse at St. Vincent Hospital, Drs. Diethelm and Inglis Family Practice Office, and Arbors at Toledo before retiring in 2007.

She loved school and learning in general. She loved to read, studied a lot, and got good grades. Her love of learning continued as she traveled across the country in a truck camper or motorhome on vacation every summer. A few of her favorite trips were to Hershey and Gettysburg, PA, the Great Smoky Mountains, Mt. Rushmore, and the Black Hills, SD.

Family and friends were the most important part of her life. She was married for 63 years until the passing of her husband, Albert in 2020. Sydney raised two successful children, Deborah and Mark, and countless other children in the family, as well as neighborhood children who always seemed to gather at the house.

She was a member of Peace Lutheran and Augsburg Lutheran Churches where she was a Girl Scout leader for 7 years from Brownies to Cadets taking the girls camping at Camp Libbey and was also a choir mom. She volunteered at many school functions and whatever the kids were involved in. She hosted, organized, and attended numerous family reunions bringing together both her and her husband’s families and friends, always wanting to include everyone in the celebration.

Keeping busy with numerous hobbies, Sydney loved to sew, quilt, knit, crochet, embroider and do any kind of craft project. She also loved to bake and decorate cakes, making many wedding cakes for family and friends over the years, and “carefully” delivering each one to their respective reception halls with the help of her husband. She enjoyed reading, especially James Patterson books, playing the piano, and canning vegetables from her garden every year.

She is survived by her children, Dr. Deborah Karns, Mark (Nancy) Gubala; grandchildren, Hannah Gubala, Rachel (Caleb) Sible, who are expecting the first great-granddaughter; honorary daughter, Barbie Sutter; honorary granddaughter, Nicole Sutter; and honorary great-grandchildren, Claudia and Michael; brothers, Jon (Elaine) Laney, James Laney, and Edward (Debbie) Morrison II.

She was also preceded in death by her sisters, Sally Rice, Sonia Laney; and brother, Steven Morrison.

Visitation will be Friday, March 8, 2024 from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. in the Urbanski’s Bedford Funeral Chapel 8300 Lewis Ave. Temperance, MI where the funeral service will be held Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. Entombment will follow in Ottawa Hills Memorial Park.