Kathleen “Kathy” Mary VanWey, 74, passed away peacefully on September 24, 2024, after a courageous four-year battle with pulmonary fibrosis. She is now pain-free and at peace.
Born in Toledo, Ohio, to Glen O’Blenis and Esther (Haynes) O’Blenis Dotts, Kathy graduated from St. Ursula Academy in 1968 and the University of Toledo in 1971, where she met and married the love of her life, Dennis VanWey, in 1972. The couple moved to Fremont in 1975, building a life filled with love and family.
Kathy returned to her studies, earning an M.A. in Counseling from Heidelberg College in 1997. She later became a beloved adjunct instructor at Terra Community College, teaching Psychology from 2000 to 2012. Her deep Catholic faith guided her throughout life, and she was actively involved in St. Joseph Catholic Parish’s RCIA program and Bereavement Team.
An accomplished actress, writer, and creative soul, Kathy graced Fremont Community Theater and wrote for Lifestyle 2000 magazine. Kathy is survived by her husband, Dennis, her children Jessica VanWey and SFC Jefferson VanWey, and her brother, Gerald O’Blenis Sr.
Visitation will be on September 29, 2024, at Wonderly Horvath Hanes Funeral Home, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Joseph Catholic Church on September 30. Memorials may be made to Birchard Public Library, St. Joseph Catholic Church, or Heartland Hospice.
