Lucille Frances Gorski

Born November 12, 1929, to Otto J. and Amelia (Eisel) Rectenwald in Maumee, Ohio, Luci passed away at home under hospice care on October 8, 2016, from multiple myeloma. The oldest of six children, Luci attended St. Joseph Catholic Grade School and Central Catholic High School. After attending St. Vincent’s School of Nursing in Toledo, Ohio, for her Registered Nurse certification, she received a B.S. in nursing from St. Louis University. While in St. Louis, she worked as a Clinical Instructor Coordinator at St. John’s Hospital, coordinating theory in the classroom with bedside nursing in medical and surgical care. Luci met her late husband Theodore “Ted” Gorski, Ph.D., while in St. Louis. They married in 1953 at St. Joseph Church and ultimately relocated to Maumee, Ohio. Together, they established North American Science Associates (“NAMSA”), in 1967. NAMSA is still a family owned business and has grown into a successful, multi-national entity testing medical products for safety and efficacy. Luci was very involved in Catholic education, beginning with board service at St. Rose Church and St. Rose School in 1967. She served on the Finance and Endowment Committees at St. Rose School and established an endowment in Ted’s name to support it. Luci funded a scholarship, the Theodore W. Gorski Science Scholarship, at St. Rose. It is awarded each year at 8th grade graduation to a student interested in studying science who will attend a local Catholic high school and is renewable based on good grades for the student’s entire four years of high school. Luci helped select the scholarship award winner each year, and picked students who went on to become their high school’s valedictorian. She also provided scholarships for four students to attend St. John’s Jesuit High School each year. Luci’s generosity was instrumental in providing funding for the new science lab at St. John’s Jesuit High School. As a way of giving back to their employees, Luci and Ted established a college scholarship program for children of NAMSA Associates. A lover of opera, Luci was a member of the Toledo Opera Guild since its inception over 50 years ago. She served on the Guild Board in the 1980s, and was the General Chairperson of the Silver (25th) Anniversary of the Sapphire Ball in 1985. Ted was President of the Toledo Opera Board at this same time. Luci’s innovative leadership of the 1985 Sapphire Ball, pioneering the use of corporate sponsorships, led to it raising significantly more funds than it ever had before, thus raising the bar for all fundraisers in the Toledo area since that time. Luci and Ted established an endowment for the Toledo Opera in 1992, with a challenge grant. Luci was a member of the Toledo Opera Board from 2007 through 2011, and also provided significant funding for the Opera with another challenge grant during its Crescendo Campaign in 2010. Luci served on the Toledo Opera Endowment Board since its inception. Amongst her other philanthropic endeavors, Luci generously supported the renovation of the Valentine Theatre in 1999, and was an ongoing supporter of Valentine Theatre activities. Luci was Chairman of the Hamlet Homeowners’ Association for several years. During her tenure, she worked with the grounds committee to assure the longevity of the trees and beautification of the Hamlet grounds. Ted Gorski was a master gardener, and Luci maintained his work in the beautiful gardens of their home and the public spaces of the Hamlet. Throughout the years of Luci’s community involvement, she was active full time at NAMSA, working in numerous positions over the years, including serving on its board, all while raising six children. As a lasting legacy, Luci and Ted established the Gorski Family Foundation, which has a primary mission to support charitable organizations with a cultural arts, religious, educational or scientific purpose. In recognition of her philanthropic activities, Luci was awarded the Central Catholic High School Order of the Celtic Cross in 1998, its Golden Shamrock Award in 2005, and the Toledo Botanical Garden Crosby Award in 2012. Luci was preceded in death by her parents and husband, as well as her sister, Lois Schuster, and daughter, Jill Gorski. Luci is survived by her sisters Jane Burnard (Robert), and Ruth McGrady (Clair), and her brothers John Rectenwald (Kay) and Otto J. Rectenwald, Jr. Luci is also survived by her loving children: Judi Gorski, Jen Gorski, Jane Kervin (Robert), Joel Gorski (Clare) and John Gorski (Elizabeth), and her nine grandchildren: Lucas Schwartz, Ivanny Gorski Franklin (James), Alex Gorski, Korik Ward, Max Gorski, Ben Gorski, Cole Gorski, Duncan Ward, Charlie Gorski, and step grandchildren, Matt Kervin and Stephanie Kervin Miley (Don), and Luci’s dear friend Robert Billstein. Friends will be received in the Witzler-Shank Funeral Home, 222 East South Boundary, Perrysburg, OH 43551 (419-874-3133) on Thursday from 5:00-8:00 p.m. and Friday from 3:00-8:00 p.m. where the rosary will be prayed at 7:00 p.m. Prayers will be recited at 9:45 a.m. in the funeral home on Saturday October 15, 2016, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. in St. Rose Catholic Church with burial to follow at St. Rose Catholic Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be considered to Luci’s favorite charities: St. Rose School Endowment in Perrysburg, Ohio, and Toledo Opera Endowment.