POLAND, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – Patricia A. Cramer, 85, passed away peacefully at her home, the Inn at Poland Way, surrounded by her loved ones on Saturday, May 6, 2023.

She was born Patricia Ann Korecki in Youngstown, Ohio on February 13, 1938 to parents, Michael and Helen (Sokol) Korecki.

She attended Campbell Memorial High School and graduated in 1955. 

Patricia was set up on a blind date to meet the love of her life, Gailen. After meeting him she said, “That’s my man.” She married Gailen on December 8, 1956. Gailen and Patricia moved to Campbell in 1970 to raise their four children. They both loved living in Campbell and following all the local sports.

She spent her days as a homemaker and worked part time at Bargain Port and later Pat Catan’s. She loved working and getting to interact with all of the customers. Everyone who came to Pat Catan’s affectionately knew her as the “Bow Lady” and looked for her to make their bows for special occasions.

Pat has always been fun and adventurous. During summers past, she would ride roller coasters and thrill rides with her grandchildren at Geauga Lake. She especially loved the Texas Twister and Big Dipper rides. Her enthusiasm and zest for life was contagious.

Pat loved nothing more than hosting her entire family for Christmas Eve. Everyone waited all year for her famous stuffed cabbage, wedding soup and kolachi. Seeing her children together and watching her grandchildren open presents and gather in her house was one of her greatest joys. As her grandchildren grew older, LCR became a family favorite Christmas game tradition. Pat loved rolling the lucky dice to try to win the pot of one-dollar bills. She would always blow on the dice for extra luck before her roll but she would never forget to give the little ones a few extra dollars when she would win.

For the past year and a half, Pat loved sitting on the front porch of the Inn at Poland Way on warm days relaxing, sharing stories and laughing with her many friends. She lit up every room she walked into with her bright smile, her dazzling bracelets and rings, red top and sparkling shoes. You could always find her enjoying a game of Bingo in the common room and listening to music from her friend’s boombox. She especially loved Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Elvis. She never missed an opportunity to hop on the Poland Way bus to go on an outing to a local shop or restaurant with her friends. 

Her favorite outing was to the Hollywood Casino where the slots would be waiting for her.  No matter what, she always broke even at the casino! She made everyone around her feel good with her jokes, big heart and larger than life personality. The staff and residents became her second family at the Inn. She loved life and especially loved living there. She was always on the move and lived life to the very fullest during her time there.

Patricia leaves her four children, Karen (Michael) Lodyn, Bonnie Cohn, Gail (Tim) Clark and David (Julie) Cramer; sister-in-law, Kim Korecki; eight grandchildren, Michelle (Nick) Visingardi, Melanie (Michael) Oberle, Joel (Jessica) Cohn, Melissa Cohn, Taylor (Justin) Lukasik, Makenzie (Edward) Katsap, Blake (Danielle) Cramer and Kennedy Cramer and her great-grandchildren, Katalina and Savannah Cohn, Michael and Maddox Oberle and Jackson Katsap.

Other than her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Gailen Cramer; brother, Michael Korecki; sister, Mary Jane McCarty and great-grandson, Cole David Cramer.

Words could never be enough to express the gratitude the Cramer family has for the entire staff and administration of The Inn at Poland Way, for making Pat such a special part of their lives. The care provided to Pat her entire stay was second to none. They prayed together, laughed together and cried together. They thank everyone there for giving their mom some of the best days of her life. Everyone there has a funny story to share about our her. She always told us, “I love this place so much. All we do is laugh when we are together.” We will be forever grateful for the great life she had there and the gentle loving care that was provided to her in her final days.  

The family would like to extend a sincere and special thank you to Laura Kelty and Jeff Vrable of the Inn at Poland Way. Pat loved the two of you like you were her own. Laura and Jeff, you will always be family to the Cramers and have a special place in Pat’s heart and all of their hearts too. Thank you from the bottom of their hearts for all you have done for their mother. 

The Cramer family would like to thank Buckeye Hospice for their kindness, compassion and support over the last few weeks during these difficult times. Although time together was short, your impact was great. We are thankful for all you did to help our Mom in her final days. 

Per Pat’s wishes, a private Eucharistic Memorial Mass will be held in Pat and Gailen’s honor at a later date. 

In lieu of flowers, monetary contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital in memory of Pat’s love for children. 

Arrangements are being handled by the Davis-Becker Funeral Home. Please visit www.beckerobits.com to share memories and online condolences with Pat’s family.

A television tribute will air Monday, May 15 at the following approximate times: 7:10 a.m. on FOX, 12:22 p.m. on WKBN, 5:08 p.m. on MyYTV and 7:27 p.m. on WYTV. Video will be posted here the day of airing.