Dear Bill, Becky, Laura, Dan and Jeff,
 
My heart is broken for you all at the sudden passing of Darlene! 

I don't know how the Church Kitchen Crew will be able to fill the gaping whole that she leaves behind.  Sundays were always special when you'd walk into the kitchen and she's be standing at the sink smiling at you.  She was our mentor, our confidant and 'supervisor' keeping us moving and not allowing 'too' much chit-chat while there was work to be done.  She was always welcoming  new stories about our families current status and shared in our happy and sad times with some words of wisdom and always a sympathizing ear.  

She was also my Christmas Basket "Fairy Godmother".   Each December when we collect food to distribute I'd arrive at church that evening and found my faithful 'Godmother' had been there earlier in the day to neatly arrange the food on the island.  (see photo)   This made our jobs SO much easier and organized.  She would never admit to being this special someone, but likely this December  we'll know for certain that it really was Darlene working silently in the background serving us so well.  

Looking forward to when we can all gather again and support you  all since we've been apart these past few weeks.  

All my love and prayers, 
Melinda Lanski 


 Over the years and many miles between our homes we didn't see much of one another. I think her talents and skills she shared with others in her hobbies and work God used to benefit and to meet others.  She had a lovely smile, that is what I see when we talk of her. Peace and joy to the family as you gather in her honor as we know each life is precious in God' eyes.  Will be thinking of you today.

Dear Bill, Becky,  Laura, Danny, & Jeff,
Our hearts and prayers are with you! I loved Darlene's stories from when our families were growing up, especially because I came along later and missed all of that. May God hold you and give you peace now and always.
Love,
Holly & Joe

Bill, Becky, Laura, Danny and Jeff, my heart goes out to each of you.  Darlene was definitely one of a kind.  The best neighbor you could ever ask for.  There are so many good memories of laughter, pranks and constant mischief that she initiated for the record!  She always had a way of making you laugh even when life got rough you could always depend on Darlene making you smile and feel better. She was a beautiful soul and will be missed.
Angela

Bill, Becky, Laura, Danny and Jeff and your extended families.
Cindy and I extend our thoughts and prayers to each of you as you morn the loss of Darlene, wife, mother and grandmother. It is never easy to go through the loss of a loved one, but in these complicated times, probably more difficult without the physical support of friends and extended family. Please know that we are here to support you, in thoughts and prayers, if we cannot physically be with you. 
May the God of all life and eternal life grant you comfort and peace.
Tom and Cindy Hitz

I really loved cousin Darlene and she was a encougement always to me( cuz Jackie Rose)

Darlene was known for her culinary skills. She organized a monthly dinner outing with some of our family members. We would meet 4 times a year and enjoy fabulous meals then play cards. The men were reluctant at first but then looked forward to it. Greatly enjoyed. Thanks you Darlene. Miss them.



My first connection point to Darlene, of course, was as the mother of my Sunday School classmates Laura and Dan(ny).  Yet, the first vivid memory that comes to mind and makes me laugh is her reaction whenever Jeff would come into church after playing football over lunch.  Inevitably, he would have grass stains all over his church pants, and I particularly remember one occasion when those pants were white.  I can still hear her exasperated cry of "Jeffrey!"  Who could blame her for being annoyed, and yet I think she, like all of us, would get a laugh out of that today!  

More recently, I have been touched by the interest she has taken in my wife, Jamie.  A few weeks before she died, Darlene asked me in church for details about Jamie's work schedule at Red Dot Coffee Company.  A couple days later, my wife told me that Darlene had visited her at work.  It really meant a lot to Jamie, and it meant a lot to me.  I lament that they did not have more time to grow that friendship, but I am so thankful for us to have that memory of her.  I rejoice that we can look forward to seeing Darlene in eternity.  Praise God for His plan of salvation!

Bill and family,
You have our sympathy and prayers. We will miss seeing Darlene back in the kitchen at church working on dishes! May the God of all comfort be near to you. 
Love and prayers,
Jason and Carrie and family

Our prayers and thoughts are with your family at this difficult time.  Darlene is one of the few in our church that grew up in our little church in Redford.  Our days together began early in Sunday School.  We have sweet memories of families having church picnics, Sunday school activities and even a few Sunday School trips.   It was a precious time when Darlene & Bill gave their hearts to the Lord and became a part of our church family in Livonia.   It's hard to believe so many years have gone by and now there are children and grandchildren.  Darlene's thoughtfulness and endless deeds of kindness have touched more lives than we will ever know -  we just keep hearing from so many of how she shared God's  love and compassion, along with her cookies, baked goods and other treats.  We will miss her presence at church and even around the kitchen sink as  she faithfully helped out for so many years.  
May God ever comfort each of you and be with you all.   Our love and prayers are with you.  

Bill, Becky, Dan, Laura, Jeff,
We are so sorry for your loss. We are still shocked that Darlene has passed away, and can't believe we won't see her at church soon.
Whenever I (Mark) went to the church kitchen to get a dish cloth, Darlene would have some entertaining comment for me. She would make sure I used the right sink, or tell me some story about my mom, or just give me a suspicious look that made me wonder what she was thinking.  I enjoyed them all. Once she told me that she enjoyed doing dishes so much that her mom would not allow her to do dishes as a punishment when she was young. I'm still not sure if Darlene was feeding me a line or not. :-)
Our love and prayers are with you.
Mark and Kelly Ramseyer

Bill and family,
We are keeping you in our thoughts and prayers.  May you find comfort and peace through God. He is the one who knows the why of this situation. We will miss her - seeing her help Zuzana, sitting by Joyce G, rinsing dishes by Marti, Sending virtual hugs to share a piece of human touch...... We know how important that is to you Bill. And some day soon - we will get that privilege to surround you with physical embrace and share tears together. 
Love and prayers,  Cloyce and Carol

I will miss her for many reasons, one of them being our frequent phone conversations that kept us very much in tune with each other’s lives. 
My prayers are with you Bill and your dear family.
Karen 

To Bill, Becky, Laura, Dan and Jeff, I am simply at a loss of words to say to you all. Darlene was a good person, with a ready smile and I am certainly glad To have known her.  I just saw her and spoke to her a couple weeks ago when she was out walking.   My sincere condolences, I know how difficult a sudden death can be. Treasure your memories of her and celebrate her in your life as you go forward.

Bill and Family, I pray God will continue to hold you all in His loving hands. Darlene was a special lady. I never felt like there was any question where I stood with her, she would freely let me know! Her smile, her willingness to step in and help, her love was contagious, and all will be missed. I can't wait to hug you all. 

I remember many family Christmas parties at Aunt Darlene and Uncle Bill’s home. They were the only people I knew who had a pool table back then and I remember thinking that was super cool. I also remember the food/drink spread. If she was hosting, there was some type of bowl of punch and a delicious spread of cookies.  She knew how to host a party! I also remember her Precious Moments collection. I was mesmerized by that. She had so many. I still can’t walk past a store display and not think of her and that magnificent collection.  Rest easy, Aunt Darlene.

Our Beloved Kujawa Family -

We are praying for each of you!  Darlene has always been so kind to us and our kids.  She would sit behind us at church when my kids were little and laughed that it was a zoo in the bench when Lucas was on the pulpit.  

She especially reached out to Addison to let her help wash dishes...she would get that big stool out and addi would wash. I think Darlene was more wet than the dishes some days!  When she was little, Addison would sit and eat lunch with Darlene.  

The past few years, she asked Kaleigh to help make cookies for her church lunch. Kaleigh loved being asked and worked so hard on them. Darlene always rewarded her with a nice gift card.  It made her feel so special.  

We are so thankful for your mom and your whole family.  You have been a vital part of our church. 

We love you all and are praying for you!
Lucas, Crystal, Logan, Kaleigh, Carson and Addison



Darlene always made us laugh while she was doing dishes at church. She made sure things kept moving and barked a few orders to go collect the rest of the dishes if the tables weren’t getting cleared. She teased and joked and cared about what was going on in our lives.  
When the kids were little, she always had a treat or toy for them in her purse if they were getting a little antsy during the service. She reassured us too, when that happened - that it was ok if kids were a little noisy and they weren’t as loud as they sounded to us. 
She really cared about kids and was good at thinking of what they would like. When she helped with the food for a Sunday school event, you knew there would be delicious snacks that kids would love. 
We will miss Darlene very much - and we’re praying for comfort and God’s nearness for all of her family. 

My much-loved cousins,
So many beautiful memories have been written here about your beloved wife, mother, grandmother and many many more could be given. She poured her heart into all of us. But most of all she loved her Lord and YOU, her precious family. We had many conversations over the years where she bragged on each of you and together, we prayed with all of our hearts for you, the loves of her heart. Even behind all the chuckles, I could hear her tender heart. I miss her terribly and am so thankful to have shared so much of life with her. May God keep her close to your hearts with loving memories and the knowledge that more than we can ever comprehend, He loved her all the way into His presence. She is home. May God be close to you until you see her again. 
All my love, Charlotte aka “Char-char” 


Still having a hard time as many are.  A lot of good memories over almost 28 years! My heart breaks for your family! So glad I saw her the same week she passed! May God be your comfort especially now and always! Love all of you!

Darlene was always so wonderfully kind to our family!  When we first moved here, she was so great with our young son.  She helped keep him entertained during the church service and gave him special treats.  She did the same with our daughter.  It was so special to us and we were humbled by her kindness.  Even as our kids grew up, she always so thoughtfully asked how they were doing and what they were up to.  We wish we could tell her another time how much we appreciated her!  We are thankful for her promise of heaven and we continue to pray for her dear family!
With all of our love and sincere sympathies,
Blume Family

I got to know Darlene when our mutual friend, Linda, was terminally ill. Linda loved Darlene like a sister and relied heavily on her in her last months and weeks to help her get her affairs in order. That’s how I will remember Darlene; graciously helping anyone who needed her, be it a sick friend, or during church lunch, or as an empathetic listening ear.  Her ability to be there for so many was just plain inspiring. Bill and kids - my heart aches for you in this major loss, please know you are in my daily prayers. 

Special memories of Darlene and her love for her family and church loved ones.  

A mother’s love is a blessing.  May you be blessed with warm memories and carry on her unique gifts. 



All four of the Harmon kids prayed for Darlene, even little 2 year old Andrew. Then, they preceded to talk about Darlene. Jonah was so concerned because he knew that Darlene was Naomi's friend. Naomi loved sitting with Darlene at church and lunch and she was one of her "best friends." It's so sweet how Naomi took to Darlene and how much the love was returned. Perhaps it was that they both had some spunk and a fun-loving spirit. Darlene always made sure to slide a joke in here and there while she was washing the dishes and bring a smile to our faces. She was a gentle and kind person. I'll also remember her for those amazing cupcakes.  We will miss Darlene and I think Naomi will remember the spot in church she so often sat in. Our love and prayers are with you. Our hearts are with you even though we cannot be with you at this time. 

I am very saddened and so sorry, for your great loss.   Darlene was a very sweet, and kind woman who always had a smile on her face.  It was an honor to know her.  I am praying for Gods comfort to all that knew and Loved her.   Love and Prayers to everyone.

I loved how Darlene cared for and brightened so many lives. Her sense of humor still makes me smile.  I can picture her helping in the kitchen at church,  where she sat in the dining area especially when Virginia was still living and the bond that developed between the two of them as well as the joy she brought to Virginia’s life.  My niece Kristin was torn with grief because Darlene completely accepted her for who she was. I can picture her planning anything to make Ernie and Mary smile with her many antics, usually silly, crazy ones!  She will be greatly missed. 

Dear Kujawa Family,
We are so sorry for the passing of your beloved Darlene.  Words cannot express how much we will miss her in so many ways.  Whether seeing her walking in our neighborhood, at Church, going out to eat together, or our drives that always seemed to end up at Han-d-Dip!  She was such  loving person and was always ready to help those in need.  We will miss the plates of cookies she would bring to us - she loved to share.  Our consolation is that we will see her again someday in Heaven.  May God bless you and wrap His arms of love around you.  
Ernie and Mary

Darlene always made me laugh and I loved hearing her stories. 

Luke- “I remember when we were in the church kitchen. Darlene always found a way to make me do the dishes! Lol”

We will miss you Darlene 

Our dear Kujawa Family - Our hearts are breaking with you in the sudden loss of your precious wife, mother and grandmother.  We so wish we could tell you in person through words and hugs how sorry we are for your great loss and can only hope and pray that the Holy Spirit wraps His loving arms around each one of you and gives you comfort and peace that only He can.  We love you and from the bottom of our hearts want you to know how sorry we are for your great loss.  Dana, Beth and Family

Matthew 11:28

Our most dear Kujawa family - Bill, Becky, Laura, David, Danny, Christina, Jeff and the grands,
We are still shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden unexpected passing of one so very dear.  Clearly, Darlene touched us all in our own special unique way.  
Her kindness to us and interest in us was alwasy genuine and precious.
Recall how she alwasy smiled when she talked?
She was generous and kind - always doing things for others.
She shared all four of the children with ours as babysitters.
She brought huge garbage bags of jeans and T-shirts and we lived off of those hand-me-downs for many years.
She was always quick to help those who couldn't carry plates of food in the church dining room.
She would look up at the pulpit and smile affirmingly at us ministers.
Has anyone head the expression "The good die young"?  Sure fits here.
We will miss her terribly - already do.  Church will never be the same again.  There will be a big hole on her bench, in her lobby chair and on her dining room stool.
Carried by the Angels
Words: Daniel Whittle, 1887
Music: James McGranahan
Sitting by the gateway of a palace fair,
Once a child of God was left to die;
By the world neglected, wealth would nothing share:
See the change awaiting there on high.
Refrain
Carried by the angels to the land of rest,
Music sweetly sounding thro' the skies;
Welcomed by the Savior to the heav'nly feast,
Gathered with the loved in Paradise.
What shall be the ending of this life of care?
Oft the question cometh to us all;
Here upon the pathway hard the burdens bear,
And the burning tears of sorrow fall.
Refrain
Follower of Jesus, scanty tho' thy store,
Treasures, precious treasures wait on high;
Count the trials joyful, soon they'll all be o'er;
O the change that's coming by and by.
Refrain
Upward, then, and onward! onward for the Lord;
Time and talent all in His employ;
Small may seem the service, sure the great reward;
Here the cross, but there the crown of joy.
Refrain  With our Gasser love and tears 

Darlene was a wonderful homemaker, wife, loving mother, grandmother, and precious friend to many.  She cared about people, and had a special place in her heart for the elderly, and those that struggled.  She made a point to connect with children, which made them feel special.  Darlene was willing to be helpful.  She was always behind the sink doing dishes during church lunch.  We will miss her, but our heart really aches for you, Bill, and your dear family.  May God surround you, your children and grandchildren with His  comfort and love.  We remain prayerful! ❤️🙏
Love, Pat and Bonnie

Dearest Kujawa family, I include a big hug for you all. Though very, very sad at already missing Darlene, I realize that every memory...and there are many...has humor with a smile in it. Perhaps that says it all. For whatever challenges, disappointments, hardships, Darlene showed the smile and a word or more to bring laughter. We had fun talking about people from our shared past. She'd end the conversation with a question about the past. During the week, I'd research & find the answer. Next time we were together, I'd share the answer. Then would come the next question. I'd slap my forehead and say, oh boy, now I have to find that one. We'd both laugh. It really was a great exchange because we would then re-live a nice person or place in the past. Darlene was all about God, Church, Family, Hard work for others behind the scenes. She didn't want the attention. I miss you Dar. Thanks for the memories. 

Aunt Darlene will be greatly missed. Her wit and sense of humor will never be forgotten. Sending many thoughts, prayers and love to the Kujawa family.

Sincerely and love, 
Molly Ferguson 

Darlene was a huge part of our family.  I remember going to the Kujawa household for several get togethers growing up. She loved to host people at their home and always made us feel so welcomed. 

My favorite memory of Darlene was every time I came back home to Michigan and attended church with my mom. Darlene always sat next to me in church and made me feel so welcome coming home. She was always like a second mom to me.  She and I would chat and catch up and she would tease my husband Zach.  There were many occasions where my mom would shush us in church like we were teenage girls who hadn’t seen each other in a long time. 

Darlene was such a great friend to my mom and I’ve always called her my mom’s best friend when speaking of her to anyone. She was always there for my mom through all the good times and bad. 

We love her so much and can’t wait to see her again in heaven! I’m sure she’s making all the angels laugh up there! 

Bill, Becky, Laura, Danny & Jeff,

I’m so deeply sorry for your loss and am praying peace and comfort over your entire family. We love you! 

Love,
Stephanie, Zach, Cohen and Crew

Dear Bill, Laura, Jacob, and family,
We were shocked and saddened to hear of Darlene’s passing and can only imagine the ache and sorrow you feel. We so enjoyed being a part of Detroit for more than 8 years, and seeing her smile on Sunday and twinkle in her eye (which usually indicated something funny or clever was going on in her head).  We know your loss is especially deep during this time of isolation but pray you feel the Lord comforting you with His peace and your memories.  

Much love from Eric and Jodi Strassheim   

Dear Bill and Family,
This morning I came across Darlene's last note to the church, sent out March 10 saying, "PLEASE LET DARLENE KNOW BY APRIL 1 IF U WILL BE GONE OR IF U HAVE GUESTS ON EASTER SUNDAY.  THANK U, DARLENE"  I smiled as I remembered commenting to Phil that Darlene was planning ahead which was so typical of her.  Several years ago, she asked me never to switch church lunch serving dates without telling her because she noted when we served and knew her turn was coming.  None of us could have imagined when this email arrived in our inboxes how life would change!   

Today we are thinking about how Easter will be for Darlene as she spends it in the Presence of her Lord.  Her banquet is waiting and she is not the server but an honored guest.   We can only imagine how your hearts break and how much you miss her, and our hearts ache.  Yet we rejoice in the promise of the empty tomb and the hope it offers that we can be together again forever.  

We hope you can feel God's arms holding you.  We praise Him for the promise that He is with us always!  He is forever exempt from "Social Distancing."  

With our love to you,
Phil and Dawn

A dear friend from church came in to Red Dot awhile back to see where I worked, even though I don't think she liked coffee,and enjoyed one of our fruit smoothies. I was looking forward to her next visit to the shop but sadly I will not have the pleasure of seeing her again this side of heaven. Miss and love ya Darlene! You were so kind to me, and also a little ornery😍-from my Facebook post-love and prayers, Jamie B. 

Regretfully., I have only one photo from 10 years ago of Darlene and my daughter Ashlyn, now 15, as she drove her somewhere..  Darlene hated having her picture taken.  She also hated being in the spotlight. I have many memories, none of which Darlene would want people knowing.  She and her car remained an ongoing presence in my life since 2010 when I couldn’t drive due to unexpected seizures for periods of time.  There were times I could drive and times I couldn’t and she was one of the people that were there when I couldn’t.  Southfield was a long drive but went by quickly because her infectious sarcastic sense of humor and her interest in my family. She wanted to learn people in general.  She didn’t talk about herself much.  No one knew how much she did for me behind the scenes.  I loved her brutal honesty because I always knew where I stood.  One of the biggest things I miss already are her red sweater and her “Hey Blondie!” This was a nickname she made up years ago and she was the only one who ever called me that.  She was a real friend who I could be myself around.  If she knew how much her sudden death caused grief and tears she would say “Oh Blondie, go take care of your patients and quit crying over me.”  
If I could only hug you one last time.  I love you, Darlene and will see you in heaven.
Love,  Krista (aka “Blondie “)
Bill and family, you have our prayers and sympathy.  We are so sorry.   We love you.
Andy, Krista and Ashlyn Wieland 

OBITUARY

Darlene Ann Kujawa

February 18, 1953 – April 4, 2020

Harry J Will Funeral Homes

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