Kathleen Marie Lanza

KAY WAS A NATIVE OF SAN DIEGO, CA AND WAS BORN TO HENRY AND ETHEL JOHNSON OF ESCONDIDO. SHE WAS THE SECOND OLDEST OF 4 SIBLINGS.

SHE MARRIED HER FIRST HUSBAND, JAMES E. JONES SR. IN 1961. THEY HAD 2 CHILDREN IN 1964 AND 1965 AND WAS A STAY AT HOME WIFE AND MOTHER. DURING THESE EARLY YEARS SHE BECAME AN EXCELLENT POOL PLAYER AND WON MANY TROPHIES. KATHLEEN AND JAMES LATER DIVORCED IN 1972.

DURING HER YEARS AS A SINGLE MOTHER SHE BECAME A WAITRESS TO MAKE ENDS MEET. SHE MET HER SECOND HUSBAND, BEN LANZA, WHILE WORKING FOR HIM AT HIS ITALIAN RESTAURANT, THEY MARRIED IN 1973. HER NEW MARRIAGE ALSO BROUGHT TWO NEW STEP-CHILDREN INTO HER LIFE WHICH SHE TOOK ON WITHOUT HESITATION. KAY WAS WIDOWED BY HER SECOND HUSBAND BEN THIS PAST NOVEMBER. THEY SHARED MANY HAPPY YEARS TOGETHER.

OVER THE YEARS KAY KEPT A CIRCLE OF CLOSE LIFETIME FRIENDS AROUND HER AND WAS VERY SOCIALABLE. SHE LOVED TO GO OUT AND DINE WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS AND WAS PART OF A LADIES BUNKO GROUP FOR SEVERAL DECADES. SHE LOVED BABIES AND LOVED BEING A GRANDMOTHER.

KAY WAS AN ARTIST. SHE LOVE TO PAINT AND DRAW. SHE ENJOYED MAKING HAND MADE CARDS OF ALL KINDS THAT SHE FREQUENTLY SENT TO HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

KAY WAS A QUIET, KIND, HONEST AND UNDERSTANDING LADY. SHE NEVER RAISED HER VOICE AND ALWAYS HAD KIND THINGS TO SAY ABOUT OTHERS. SHE WAS RAISED A CATHOLIC AND HER RELIGION WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO HER. KAY EVENTUALLY RETIRED FROM THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY, AT GENERAL DYNAMICS WHERE SHE WAS AN ELECTRONICS ASSEMBLER.

KATHLEEN LEAVES BEHIND HER TWO CHILDREN, DAUGHTER KRISTINA CROMLEY AND SON JAMES JONES JR OF LAKESIDE. HER STEP SON MICHAEL LANZA OF SANTEE AND A STEP DAUGHTER GINA THOMAS OF ROCKLIN, CA. TWO BROTHERS, DAVID JOHNSON OF SAN DIEGO AND THOMAS JOHNSON OF ESCONDIDO. SIX GRANDCHILDREN: JOSEPH, CASSANDRA, BEN-MICHAEL, MARY ROSE, JONATHAN & KATIE. FOUR GREAT GRANDCHILDREN: KAYLYNN, BRENDAN, REYA AND BLAIR. SHE IS ALSO SURVIVED BY MANY OTHER EXTENDED FAMILY MEMBERS, NIECES, NEPHEWS AND COUSINS AS WELL AS HER VERY CLOSE, LIFE TIME FRIENDS.

SERVICES FOR KAY WILL BE HELD AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP CATHOLIC CHURCH LOCATED AT 13208 LAKESHORE DRIVE, LAKESIDE, CA 92040 ON SATURDAY APRIL 6, 2019, AT 10:00 AM. RECEPTION IS RESERVED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING AT THE ADJACENT HALL UNTIL 1:00 PM.