It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the passing of Caryn Kozel (beloved wife, mother, and grandmother) on Friday, March 5, 2021, at the age of 72, after an 8-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
Caryn will be lovingly remembered by husband of 51 years, Nickolas Kozel; children: Julie McClay (Steve) Deborah Wallace (Dave), Nickolas Kozel (Deanna), Sharon Hicks (Patterson), Alexander Kozel (Juliane), Gregory Kozel (Adrienne), and Stephanie Eriksen (Braden); 26 grandchildren; and 3 great grandchildren. She will also be remembered by her parents, Roy and Fern Meissner, siblings, Roy, Marilyn, and Caryl, and numerous other family members and friends.
Caryn was born in Chicago, IL on January 17, 1949, and moved with her family to St. Clair Shores, MI in 1956. She graduated from Lakeview High School in 1967 and attended the University of Michigan before marrying her high school sweetheart, Nick, in 1969. Her early years of marriage were spent raising her family as she accompanied her husband in his passion for pursuing and working in Christian education at a number of schools. While Caryn was gifted in administrative skills and could often be found working and serving alongside her husband in various roles, she had a love and compassion for people that never stopped her from tangibly caring for those around her. As a family, the Kozels lived and served in Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, and Florida, before settling in Harrisonburg, VA in 1992.
Upon settling in the Shenandoah Valley, Caryn and Nick founded Dominion Educational Ministries, Inc. (DEMI) and began to serve the local community with their family through the operation of Good Shepherd School and Day Care. It was during this time that Caryn completed her bachelor’s degree through the adult degree completion program at Eastern Mennonite University, and served as Vice President of DEMI while handling much of the administrative needs of the schools. Over the last 29 years, the school has served hundreds of families and has expanded to multiple locations in the Shenandoah Valley and beyond.
Caryn loved the Lord, and will be remembered for the joy she brought to the lives of those who knew her, for her heart for the marginalized, and for her contentment in the simple things in life. One of her greatest joys over the past several years was serving on the Parish Counsel as the People’s Warden at the Church of the Incarnation in Harrisonburg where she and Nick have been attending for the past three years. Caryn never stopped learning, and the last years of her life were spent growing in grace and love for the gospel and others, serving her parents well, learning how to love her family even more fully, and dying gracefully while living out her faith to the very end.
In light of current Virginia COVID-19 restrictions, a private funeral service will be held on Saturday afternoon, March 13, at The Church of the Incarnation. For those interested in participating, the service will be livestreamed. See the church’s website for more details: www.theincarnation.org.
The family will receive friends Friday, March 12, from 6:00pm-8:00pm in the Lindsey Funeral Home Chapel in Harrisonburg. The casket will be closed.
Post memories of Caryn at www.lindseyharrisonburg.com.
In lieu of flowers, Caryn requested you take your spouse on a date and invest in the relationships with those you love. Should you choose to make a donation in honor of Caryn, the following is a list of non-profit organizations that were dear to her heart.
• Stansberry Children’s Home and Day Care, Santa Cruz, Bolivia: Rhoda Steiner, 12002 Arnold Road, Orrville, OH 44667
• The Church of the Incarnation: 57 South Main Street, Suite 609, Harrisonburg, VA 22801
• Good Shepherd School and Day Care: 276 West Market St., Harrisonburg, VA 22801
