Luanne Coy, 79, of Eau Claire died on August 30, 2011 from head injuries sustained in a fall at her home.
Luanne was born June 8, 1932, in Albany, Minnesota to Mathilda and Joseph
Kulas. She received her bachelor's degree in English from the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota and taught in Montgomery, Minnesota and Branson, Colorado. She married Richard D. Coy in 1956 in Frankfurt, Germany and spent a year in Europe before returning to Minneapolis to raise a family. After eight years, they moved to Minot, North Dakota for two before coming to Eau Claire in 1966.
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Luanne lived a full and active life, and was a woman of beauty, grace, and kindness, with a wonderful smile. She had an intense and life-long love of literature and a keen appreciation of wit. Her commitment to the Democratic party and issues of peace and justice is legendary. She was deeply engaged in the community from serving on the Board of Canvassers to the Community Table. She was Executive Director of the Western Wisconsin Epilepsy Center for over a decade. She was a founding member of Newman, the Roman Catholic Parish at the Ecumenical Religious Center. She travelled all over the United States with her family in a succession of VW buses, and loved her trips to Ireland, Italy and Germany. She took great pleasure in her beautiful home, which was open to everyone and was watering flowers at the time of her fall. Above all else, she was utterly devoted to her family, and took great joy in her children and grandchildren, for whom she was amazing teacher. |
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Luanne was preceded in death, ten years to the day, by her beloved husband Richard, and by her parents, her brother Everett Kulas and an infant daughter, Mary Elizabeth.
She will be greatly missed by her children: John (Fiona McCrae) of Minneapolis; James (Milissa Day) of Dili, East Timor; Catherine (Christopher Bjork) of Madison, and Mary of Chicago; her grandchildren Sophie Lenarz-Coy (John Moret), Madeleine, Patrick, Alec, Will, and Elizabeth Coy-Bjork, and Liam and Helena Coy; her brothers; Paul Kulas (Kathryn) of Champlin, MN and Fr. John Kulas of St John's Abbey; her extended family and her many dear friends.
Visitation will be at Fuller-Speckien-Hulke Funeral Home Friday from 5-8 pm. Funeral services are scheduled for 11 am Saturday, September 3, 2011 at the Newman Parish at the Ecumenical Religious Center in Eau Claire. Father George Szews will officiate. The burial will take place Monday, September 5, 2011 at 11 am at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. There will be no public visitation Saturday at the church prior to the services. Friends may offer condolences online at www.fullerspeckienhulke.com.
In Lieu of flowers, memorials in Luanne's name can be made to the Kulas Family Endowed Scholarship, St. John's University, Collegeville, MN 56321 or Teen Living Programs, 162 W. Hubbard, Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60654
Fuller Speckien Hulke Funeral Home, 3209 Rudolph Road, Eau Claire, WI 54701 is assisting the family with the arrangements.
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