Frances Dymarkowski

Frances L. Dymarkowski, 79 of Sylvania, died peacefully on Sunday, July 24, 2022, at Flower Hospital surrounded by her family. She was born December 18, 1942, in Toledo to Nicholas and Serafina DiLorenzo. Her parents had immigrated from Italy and Frances grew up in an Italian American household along with her two sisters. The family embraced their Italian heritage, but the children were taught the ways of new world. Italian was spoken in the home and as a result Frances learned the language. Frances’ parents instilled in her a strong love of God, family, and friends. She attended Gesu Catholic grade school where she made lifelong friends. She went on to graduate from Central Catholic High School (CCHS) in 1960. While at CCHS, she met her future husband, Paul Dymarkowski, while attending a football game. Paul literally knocked her off her feet when he was forced out of bounds. After that chance encounter, they began dating and eventually married. “Franny” as she was known by her friends and family loved her time at CCHS, where she also made numerous lifelong friends. After high school graduation, Franny went on to Mary Manse College in Toledo, which she also enjoyed and continued establishing lifelong friendships that remain today.

In 1964, she and Paul were married and together they raised three children. Family became the center of Franny’s life, and it was important to her to pass along both Italian and Polish traditions to her children. This began a lifelong love of preparing Italian and Polish foods for family and friends. In 1987, when her children were grown, Franny found a satisfying career as a social and activities director at Oakleaf Village Retirement Community. She enjoyed working there until 2009, garnering much satisfaction from enriching the lives of the residents at Oakleaf. Whether going on “field trips” to Mud Hens games, visiting local attractions or providing in-house activities such as chili cookoffs, derby day or booking musical acts that performed for the residents, Franny had a great time and made many friends.

Franny’s real joy in life was her family. She impressed upon them the importance of family and friends. She would often say “in the end all you need is someone who cares about you and you about them”. Franny was extremely proud of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, and supported her large extended family in everything they did. You would often find Franny observing, attending, supporting, and participating any way she could at every function. This included Girl Scouts, sporting events, graduations, school plays and dance recitals. She never missed an event.

Franny would routinely invite family over for weekly dinners at her home. These were more than just dinners; they would become feasts. She would literally make seven or eight different dishes for the meal. These dinners were all about getting the family together to enjoy each other’s company rather than to simply feed them. Franny enjoyed the cooking process and knowing that people loved her food and company. Each dinner was loud and chaotic, but that is the way she wanted it; everyone laughing and enjoying themselves around the table. Between dinner invites, “Granny Franny” would have her family over for game nights, to play cards or board games, something they all loved.

Franny had a great sense of humor, loved to laugh, and make others laugh. She also enjoyed get-togethers and parties. She would often be the last to leave. When she wasn’t enjoying her family, she loved spending time with the friends that she made throughout her life.  She liked to go to lunch with friends or have them to her home for a meal. Franny also cherished having “one-on-one time” with her children, grandchildren, or great grandchildren. Many times, it involved a cooking lesson where she would share her secret recipes. Many of the recipes were not written down, she merely recited them from memory.  Franny also enjoyed watching Hallmark Christmas movies year around.  She would invite her daughter, daughters-in-law, or granddaughters over to watch a movie that she had recorded. Franny enjoyed the simple things in life. She could find so much joy in growing her own tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and zucchini. She would admire in astonishment a tomato that she had grown, saying, “how can one little seed come to grow such a beautiful and delicious thing.” She never took anything for granted and treasured every day.

Franny unconditionally loved others and always put the needs of others before her own. She was a great daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend.  She will be missed by all that knew her.

Franny was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Dymarkowski; parents, Nick and Serafina DiLorenzo; brother-in-law, Norman Lopinski; sister-in-law Natalie Reed; and brother-in-law, Bill Sader.

She is lovingly survived by her children, Doug Dymarkowski (Brenda), Paul Dymarkowski (Charlotte) and Lynn Breen (Dan); grandchildren, Danny Dymarkowski (Hannah), Mandy Martin (Kevin), Drew Dymarkowski, Delanie Dymarkowski, Molly Breen and Natalie Breen; great grandchildren, Evelyn Dymarkowski, Esther Dymarkowski, Calvin Dymarkowski, Levi Dymarkowski, Serafina Martin, Jameson Martin, Nolan Martin and Griffin “Kirby” Martin; sisters, Donna Lopinski and Patty Sader; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Family and friends are invited to visit from 4-8 p.m., Wednesday, July 27, 2022, in the Walker Funeral Home, 5155 Sylvania Ave. (west of Corey Rd.), Toledo. Services will begin in the funeral home at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, July 28, 2022, with a prayer service and proceed to Christ the King Catholic Church, 4100 Harvest Lane, for funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery. Mass can also be viewed online at cktoledo.org/live-stream/.

Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider a donation to St. Francis de Sales High School, 2323 W. Bancroft, Toledo, OH 43607, Pettisville Missionary Church, 19055 Co Rd. D, Pettisville, OH 43553 or Christ the King Church, 4100 Harvest Ln, Toledo, OH 43623. Online condolences can be shared at walkerfuneralhomes.com.