LOWELLVILLE, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – Services will be held on Saturday, September 2, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at Christ the Good Shepherd Parish/St John the Baptist Church for Theresa J. Basista who passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Sunday, August 27, 2023.

Theresa was born on September 26, 1931 a daughter of Waclaw and Petronela Zeyzus in Export, Pennsylvania.

She was a 1955 college graduate of Pitt University with a degree in pharmacy and had the distinguished honor of having Jonas Salk as her guest speaker at her commencement where he made his discovery of the polio vaccine.

Theresa practiced pharmacy for 45 years and worked in many drug stores in the Youngstown area retiring from Allen’s Drug Store in 1994.

She was a member of Christ the Good Shepherd Parish/St John the Baptist Church in Campbell for 66 years when marrying her best friend, Martin J. Basista, on August 17, 1959.

Theresa loved three things most in life, her family, her home and working in her yard. She loved to plant flowers and design everyone’s yard. Her thoughts and ideas will truly be missed.

She leaves to cherish her memory her brother, Raymond Zeyzus and sister, Helen Zychal, both from Export, Pennsylvania; her son, Larry (Cheryl) Basista of Sarasota, Florida; her daughter, Susan Novak of Lowellville; her pride and joy, her grandchildren, Timothy Basista of Painesville, Rebecca (Rob) Komara of Canfield, Amy Novak of Poland, Erin and Mary Rose Novak and Tanner Stellmar, all from Lowellville; her stepgrandchildren, Kyle (Nicole) Troyer of Wooster and Jared Troyer of Glendale, Arizona and her brightest shining stars, her great-grandchildren, Robby, Alijah and Cru Komara and Daxton, Bodi, Carson and Brantley Troyer. She also leaves to cherish her memory many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Martin, on November 20, 2017; her brothers, Fred, Adam, Henry, Leon, John, Ted, Louis and Richard and sisters, Bertha Gillis and Lucy and Irene Zeyzus.

Visitation will be held on Friday, September 1, 2023, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Kirila Funeral Home, Inc., 258 Poland Avenue in Struthers and on Saturday, September 2, 2023, from 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. at the Christ the Good Shepherd Parish/St. John the Baptist Church followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m.

Burial will follow in St. John Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Hospice House, 9803 Sharrot Road, Poland, OH 44514.

The family would like to thank the following people for their loving care of Theresa in her last days, the doctors, nurses and aides in the ER and fourth floor of Mercy Health Hospital and the nurses and aides at Hospice House.