Frances "Chickie" Lenga

Frances “Chickie Hayes” Lenga The final chapter of the “Book of Chickie” has come to a close. I won’t bore you and tell you to read the book, so I have enclosed the Cliff Notes. It all began on March 2, 1947 when Frances Ellen Hayes was brought into this world to join the crazy family of Howard G. Hayes & Palmeda Madore Hayes. She was the youngest to join the set of siblings, Mary M. (Hayes) Karazim, Joan C. (Hayes) Engel and John Howard Hayes. Frances was soon to be called “Chickie” by one of the neighborhood kids and from day 3 she didn’t know she had a real name. Growing up in St. Agnes Parrish on Birchall Rd. was the best. So many kids to play with. The nightly games of kick the can, hide and seek, street football, basketball games and the garage dance parties. We were never bored or lacked in imagination of what if. Attending Central Catholic High School helped mold her into the person she would become. Chickie was co-editor of the Centripetal Yearbook for the class of 1965. The close friendships that were formed in those four years at Central remained with her throughout her life. In 1968, Chickie and J. Thomas Lenga were married and soon started a family of their own: Christina M. (Lenga) Harper, John Thomas Lenga, Jr. & Peter Michael Lenga. Tom was in the Army JAG Corp so the first five years of marriage was mostly stationed in the DC area. Once Tom left the service, they made their home in Detroit, MI. In 1994, after her divorce and raising her children, Chickie set out for St. Thomas, USVI and made that her home. She was Food & Beverage Director of the Renaissance Grand Beach Resort before starting up her own restaurant, “Chickie’s Place” with her two partners, her brother John H. Hayes & Barry Adams. While on St. Thomas, Chickie took up scuba diving to become a Dive Master working for Peter at the Coki Beach Dive Club. She also did Original Hand Colored Black & White Photography that was sold in numerous gift shops. She returned stateside after 9/11. As the years passed, Chickie’s family grew adding another son, Matthew Harper and two daughters Kim Geroux Lenga and Alyssa Abend Lenga. These individuals were not in-laws to her, they were truly members of her family. These unions produced her legacy of seven grandchildren. Chickie had three passions in life; her family, Christina and Matt Harper, John and Kim Lenga and Peter and Alyssa Lenga, seven grandchildren, Rachel (Carl), Josh and Alyssa Harper, J.T. & Cas Lenga, Michael and Alexis Lenga, golf and her love of horses. Besides Chickie’s years on St. Thomas, her best idea of fun was riding with the Red Rock Ride groups in Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Purine Lake Canyon, Butch Cassidy Canyon and down the Grand Canyon. But to Chickie, the best vacation of all was her trip out west with Chris, John and Peter back in the 1980’s. They traveled the Northern Route, down the Inter Coastal and the Southern route back home-- a total of 8 weeks seeing the beauty of the West. If Chickie wasn’t on the golf course, at Woven Dreams Horse Farm or at St. James Club working out, you would find her in the kitchen baking cookies for different friends or the St. Louis Helping Hands meals sponsored by Gesu Catholic Church. The oven was on overtime when it came to holidays or special occasions. Chickie’s greatest source of pride was her family. It meant everything to her, and she would plan all kinds of different adventures to bring everyone together keeping family close. To her, time with family was all she ever wanted. There was a weekend at the water park, a day at Cedar Point, a week in Gladwin, MI, a week in Orlando, FL, a week in Rushville, OH., the numerous Mud Hens and Walleye games, Imagination Station, plus the endless games of Monopoly and Scrabble. Memories that will last. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, January 6, 2021 at Gesu Catholic Church, 2049 Parkside Blvd., Toledo, where the family will receive guests beginning at 10:00 a.m. Facial coverings and social distancing are required at all events. The Mass can be viewed via live stream by visiting the Walker Family Funeral Homes Facebook page. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Chickie’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or H.O.O.V.E.S: Healing Our Veterans.