On Friday, January 8th, loving wife, mother and grandmother, Florica (Iova) Podway, passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 63. Born outside of Oradea, Romania, she immigrated to the United States at the tender age of 14. A few years later, she met the love of her life, David, when she bought her first car in Lakewood, Ohio at Podway Motors. They built a beautiful life together in Westlake, raising their two children, David and Jessica. A cherished and doting mother, Florica's children considered her their best friend.
Florica earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Cleveland State University, leading to a fulfilling, 35-and-a-half-year-career as a Spanish teacher at Westlake High School. This tenure served as a testament to her commitment to and belief in the importance of education. She adored her students and colleagues and was well-loved in return. Passionate, fearless, strong, funny and known for her caring heart and empathetic spirit, Florica was always quick to remind you that the most important consideration is not what you do for someone but how you make them feel.
A people person, Florica wore many hats in the relationships in her life: mom, wife, sister, daughter, aunt (tusi), great-aunt, godmother, best friend, teacher, mentor and neighbor. While all of these roles were very meaningful to her, none brought her as much joy as the role of grandmother. Known as "Mama", Florica often described her feelings toward her three granddaughters, as a "burning love" but insisted that even these words were inadequate. Over the last five joyous years, her list of titles grew to include playmate, personal shopper, babysitter and, again, best friend.
Florica was preceded in death by her parents, Mike and Etelca, and her sister, Victoria. She is survived by her husband of 41 years, David, son David, daughter Jessica (Jonathan), granddaughters Isabella- Florica, Juliana-Marie and Victoria-Louise, brother Florian (Florica), sister Anica and many dear nieces and nephews. Visitation Tuesday 5 - 8 pm at Holick Craciun Funeral Home 23040 Center Ridge Rd. Westlake Oh. Saracusta Service 7pm Tuesday. All Funeral Services Wednesday at 10am at St. Helena Romanian Byzantine Catholic Church 1367 West 65th Str. Cleveland. Interment St. Joseph Cemetery. Online Condolences at
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