Doris K. Lepa

Doris Katherine Nickels was born February 10, 1913 on an 80 acre family farm on Scheid Road in Huron, Ohio to Adolph and Katherine (Lieb) Nickels. She received her grade school education in a one room school house down the road a ½ mile from her home. When she was in 4th grade Thomas A. Edison and Henry Ford visited her classroom. Doris was graduated Valedictorian from Milan High School (birthplace of Thomas A. Edison) in 1930. She received a tuition scholarship and was the first member of her family to go to college, and was graduated cum laude from Mary Manse College, Toledo, Ohio with her Bachelors of Science in Education. In the summer months, Doris lived at home, in Huron, with her mother and worked as a waitress for Hoyts Restaurant. Her teaching career began in Toledo, Ohio, earning $1,000 a year, then Monroe, Michigan at Luna Pier and continued as she taught at Birmingham High School, Ohio. She spent many years teaching for the Cleveland school system, and later for St. Charles in Parma, Ohio, plus substituting at local schools after retirement. Doris enjoyed teaching math, chemistry, English, and reading so much that she continued by tutoring at Tampa Elementary Schools: Crestwood, Lake Magdalene, and Claywell until she was 90 years old. Doris and Johnny met at The Gazelle Restaurant and Lounge Bar, 1132 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. They enjoyed cocktail shrimp every night afterwards. Four months later, Johnny proposed, and Doris said yes! Then, Johnny asked, "What should we do next?" Doris responded, "Let's buy a home." They bought a 2-bedroom ranch-style home for $12,000 in Parma, Ohio. On October 28, 1950, Doris married her husband John Charles Lepa at St. Peter Catholic Church in Huron, Ohio. Five years later they had one daughter, Karen Ann. Doris taught Karen to cook at age nine. Every year Doris, Johnny, and Karen took family vacations. One of their favorite places was Mt. Summit Inn, Uniontown, Pennsylvania where they played golf. Another favorite golf range was High Acres Par 3 Golf Course in Huron, Ohio. Doris and Johnny had a tradition of yearly Christmas Parties in the basement of their home where 50-100 friends, family, and business associates attended. They always showed a film projection of photographs from previous parties, and family events such as cookouts and reunions with Hawaiian music, especially Don Ho in the background. Johnny's nickname for Doris was "The Judge." That way she had the power to make decisions (or at least she thought so!). Doris loved to play practical jokes, cook, bake and she always had a wonderful vegetable garden, including tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce, rhubarb, kohlrabi, radishes, corn, onions, beets, peas, cucumbers, and chives. One of her favorite pastimes was playing games, especially bridge, pinochle, canasta, rummy, backgammon, checkers, rummikub, scrabble, solitaire, dominoes, and shuffleboard. Doris played card games at Northdale Recreation Center, Tampa, and Lutz and Land O'Lakes Senior Centers. Doris also loved to read novels and romance books. Doris enjoyed reading and writing her own poetry. Her favorite poem by Joyce Kilmer is "Trees." Doris was a favorite Aunt to many nieces and nephews. She took them on fishing trips every summer and any other places of interest such as zoos and art museums. Fishing was her favorite past time. Johnny, Doris, and Karen fished on Lake Erie and at Hinckley, Ohio where they went morel mushroom hunting. Johnny and Doris were snowbirds living up north 1/2 the year in Parma, went fishing at Irwin Inn, Lakefield, Ontario, Canada, then back to Florida to enjoy the warm weather. Doris loved attending her churches: St. Francis de Sales, Parma, Ohio, Our Lady of the Rosary, Land O'Lakes, Florida, and St. Paul Catholic Church in Carrollwood, Florida. She volunteered as a CCD teacher's aide at St. Paul. Doris' cats include: Nellie (as a child), Smokey, Jinx, Princess, Toby, and Bootsie. She was also a caregiver for Dasher, Karen's golden retriever. Doris' favorite restaurants: Bonefish Grill because of the sea bass, Sonny's BBQ because of the ribs and salad bar, and Picadilly's Cafeteria because of the variety. Her favorite foods were beets, bananas, and Dove's dark chocolates. Doris' favorite songs/musicians: Oh, Danny Boy (An Irish Tradition), Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss, America the Beautiful, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, and Doris Day. Doris is preceded in death by her husband of 42 years, Johnny, who passed on November 14, 1992. Also preceding her in death are her parents; her sisters: Mary Nickels Mills Wheeler, Alberta Nickels Sprankel; her brothers: Russell, Charles, and Delbert Nickels; her nephews: Ronald Mills, and Robert Sprankel (Godchild). She is survived by her daughter Karen Lepa-Rottler, and son-in-law Gregg Rottler, with whom she lived in Lutz, Florida. Karen was devoted to her mom, taking her on many vacations including Hawaii, LasVegas, North Carolina, Georgia, Canada, plus fishing trips and the beaches with her and Gregg every summer, and caring for her after her husband died. Doris is also survived by many special nieces and nephews; Barbara (Godchild) and Butch Mills-Toft, Peggy (Godchild) and Denny Nickels-Murray, Joanne and Dan Nickels-Shaughnessy, Richard and Lynne Mills, Larry Sprankel, Donald and Phyllis Nickels, Dr. Russell (Godchild) and Victoria Nickels, Kathy and Barney Nickels-Yassey, Michael Nickels, Frank and Pat Lepa, Jr., Mark and Sue Lepa, Tim Lepa, Bob Lepa (Godchild), Bob and Carol Faulkner, Carole Leonard, Virginia (Godchild) and Don Copeland, Dorothy and Barney Lanning, Tommy, Larry, Doug, and Patty Lepa, Grant Rottler, Jason and Kim Rottler, Derrick and Zachary Rottler. Her special caregiver of the last several years Jacquie Brethen also survives her, and special family friend, Ken Pintwala. Doris was a kind, loving, affectionate, patient, generous, ambitious, adaptable, analytical, wise, witty, comical, adventurous, supportive, smart, hardworking person. She had the sweetest, tender smile, and the softest hands. She was a wonderful mother and friend who is an inspiration to all of us. She is loved and will be truly missed. Doris attributes her longevity to being raised on a farm and eating a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, taking time to laugh, not letting things bother her, and having hope.