Colette Mae Casey Cefai, 96, passed away peacefully at her home in Cedar Park, Texas, on March 21, 2021, surrounded by loved ones. Colette was born on April 15, 1924 in Chicago, Illinois, to Laurette and Maurice Casey, and grew up there, the oldest of five girls.
At age 21 she met and married her husband of 43 years, Anthony Cefai. Soon after, they moved to Pontiac, Michigan, where she helped Anthony start a medical practice and raised their nine children. When their youngest child entered school, Colette became an R.N., and began her nursing career at St. Joseph's Hospital in Pontiac. Several years later, the family moved to Austin, Texas, where Colette worked in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Breckenridge Hospital.
Colette truly enjoyed her nursing career, she loved taking care of those babies! After her retirement, her greatest joy was spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And she was an avid gardener, turning ordinary backyards into English gardens! She also relished the challenge of learning new skills, and taught herself to do crewel, make quilts and, finally, stained glass.
Colette is preceded in death by her husband, Anthony, her parents, Laurette and Maurice Casey, and by her sisters, Maureen Rooney and Alyce Brunke. She is survived by her sisters, Patricia Schobel and Barbara Filler; her children (and their spouses), Michael (Nancy), Susan (Paul), Paul, Robert, Christine, David, Timothy, Thomas and John (Clarice); her grandchildren, Shelly (Dino), Adam(Jessica), Justin (Rebekkah), Becca (Ed), Rachel (Kenneth), Will and Nikki; and her great-grandchildren, Alexa, A.J., Alea, Nino, Levi, Kate, Emma (with whom she shared her love of horses), Aiden and Lucas; as well as many nieces and nephews.
Colette was a vibrant, funny, intelligent and loving sister, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who was truly loved in life and will be missed in death.
Visitation will be Monday, March 29, 2021, from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm at Weed Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 411 RR 620 S, Lakeway, Texas. Mass will be held at Emmaus Catholic Church on Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 10:00 am at Emmaus Parish Life Center Great Hall, 1718 Lohman's Crossing, Lakeway, Texas. COVID protection, including mask-wearing and distancing, will be in place.
