Tella Presunka Roddey

Tella Roddey (96) of Tucson, Arizona passed away peacefully at Starfish Care Home early Saturday morning, March 30, 2024 just short of her 97th birthday. Born April 28th, 1927, in Keld, Manitoba Canada to the late Prokop Presunka and Anna Presunka (Barabash) Tella’s parents were Ukrainian Immigrants unable to speak English and made their living by growing & selling vegetables.

Tella earned her Registered Nurse degree from Dauphin General Hospital in Manitoba in 1949. Tella visited Santa Barbara, California with her green card in hand and soon became employed as a nurse. Tella met her husband, Earl Anderson Roddey, a U.S. Army soldier, at a U.S.O. dance when Earl was stationed at Camp Cooke in Santa Barbara, CA. They married on January 30, 1953, in Fort Lee, Virginia and settled in Tucson, Arizona. The following year Tella became a U.S. citizen.

Tella & Earl were married for 37 years and were blessed with 7 children; Anna Roddey-Green (Michael) of Tucson, Az; Michael Roddey (Christie) of Sierra Vista, Az; Tia Roddey James (Bob) of Willis, VA; Steve Roddey (Nancy) of Tucson, AZ; Tom Roddey (Maria) of Sierra Vista, Az.; Marta (Berry Koeppel (Gary) of Vail, Az; Marla Forsyth (Dan) of Vail, Az.; and Sixteen grandchildren Nathan Roddey of Colorado Springs, CO; Brianna Tenuta (Vieri) of Tucson, AZ; Nicholas Roddey; Chelsea Barber (Michael) of Tucson, AZ; Corey Roddey (Sophia) of Murrieta, CA; Roman Roddey of Sierra Vista, AZ; Caty Weatherford (Logan) of Forney, TX; Ian Forsyth (Lily) of Chicago, IL; Alexa Max (Jake) of Sierra Vista, Az; Megan Berry-Cohen (Michael) of Centralia, WA; Earl M. Roddey of Tucson, AZ; Claire Spencer (Dylan) of Saint Marys, Georgia; Richard Ellis (Hunter) of Albuquerque, NM; Taylor Roddey of Tucson, Az; Melissa Berry (Griffin) of Tucson, AZ; Aidan Forsyth of Tucson, Az.; as well as 13 great-grandchildren: Grayson, Kaylynn, Aria, Braxton, Hazel, Killian, Zaylin, Madison, Walt, Brantley, Orlan, Maddox & Parker.

Tella was a housewife, aka stay-at-home-mom in today’s terms, until Marta and Marla began kindergarten. Tella then worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital as a Registered Nurse mostly on the eye unit for 18 years before retiring at age 62 to enjoy more time with her family. Tella was an active member of the Ukrainian American Society. She enjoyed growing and caring for a wonderful garden of flowers and trees. She enjoyed traveling the world to include Canada, Mexico, Korea, Switzerland, Poland, Germany, France, Italy, and Hungary. Tella enjoyed adventure and trying new things, whether it was a new vegetable, recipe, or activity. On trips to visit family Tella enjoyed a hot-air balloon ride, white water rafting, snorkeling on both coasts as well as Hawaii and went parasailing in the Atlantic Ocean. Tella was also a fan of poetry and would often recite one from her childhood.

Tella is preceded in death by her husband, parents, and as the youngest in her family, she has outlived all her siblings, their spouses, as well as other loving family and friends.

Celebration of Life - Tella Presunka Roddey: Thursday, June 13, 2024, One O’clock in the afternoon, Fort Huachuca Post Cemetery, 100 Burt Rd., Sierra Vista, Az 85613. Reception to follow at Tom & Maria’s house.

Online tributes for the family may be left at www.DignityMemorial.com

In lieu of sending flowers, you can honor Tella by contributing to her favorite organization: The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research https://www.michaeljfox.org/