Kathleen Faulkner

Kathleen "Kathy" Marie Faulkner (Schuller), 73, transitioned from this world on December 19, 2025, surrounded in love by her family at home. One of her greatest joys in life was teaching and she embodied her Catholic faith through nearly 4 decades as an educator in Catholic schools. She taught in Carey, OH, St Patrick of Heatherdowns, St. Clement, Regina Coeli, Kateri, Sylvania St Joes, and most notably at her beloved alma mater Central Catholic High School where she not only had several nieces and nephews in her classes but was frequently mistaken as one of the students. Kathy was a fierce proponent of education and fought for the installation of enrichment programs and pioneered the Lego robotics team at St. Clement where her 3 daughters attended school. Although she retired in 2019, she never quit teaching and continued to tutor grand nieces and nephews as well as her grandchildren through her vast library of science, math, and word games at home.

Born and raised in Toledo, OH, Kathy was the eldest daughter and "right arm" of Jim and Mary Alice Schuller who had 10 children. She attended St Agnes elementary school prior to becoming a CCHS Irish. In high school she shone as a member of the Dancing Irish and Glee Club with a particular passion for performing in the operettas where she served as dance captain. She loved to sing and dance and imparted her fondness for musicals and Motown to her children, often unwillingly in their younger years with her refusal to listen to anything but Oldies 93.5 in the car.

Service to others played a major role in her life. She coached youth soccer, volunteered at the fish frys and weekly contribution counting at Blessed Sacrament, and devoted years to being a room mom and church volunteer at St. Clement. Kathy was a visionary who, alongside her "fun girls", brought the children's game area to life at the St. Clement Festival, raising thousands of dollars when others thought it would be a futile effort.

Kathy married her husband Jim (Mr. Buddy) in 1983, and he truly was the yin to her yang for nearly 40 years of marriage, much of which was spent living in their beloved Close Park neighborhood where many neighbors were actual family and the rest became like one. Kathy is preceded in death by her husband Jim, parents Jim and Mary Alice, and sister Diane Wlodarski. She is survived by her daughters Kristi Faulkner (Maria Gahry), Amy (Matt) Kovach, and Janelle Faulkner (Marcial Trejo); grandchildren Sadie, Jaxson and Gage Kovach and Etta Faulkner Gahry; siblings James L. (Kathy) Schuller, Karen (Bill) Declercq, Suzie (Franz) Stallkamp, Mary Beth (Larry) Young, Tom (Maria) Schuller, Julie (Pat) Boyle, Joe Schuller, Chris Schuller; and too many nieces, nephews, cousins and found family to count.

Visitation services will be held Friday, December 26, 2025, from 2-8pm at Walker Funeral Home, 5155 W Sylvania Ave, Toledo, OH 43623. Funeral services will be held at Most Blessed Sacrament Church Saturday, December 27, 2025 at 11am, with visitation prior in the church from 10-11 am. Donations can be made to the Central Catholic High School scholarship fund to continue Kathy's lifelong love of learning.