Elaine Kozak, 83

March 28, 2021

Elaine Kozak, 83, of Landisville, died early Palm Sunday at Lancaster General Hospital from complications of heart failure.

She was the wife of Robert J. Kozak. In September, they would have observed their 63rd wedding anniversary.

Her beloved family was the center of Elaine’s life. She is survived by her daughter, Kimberly Anne Kresge of Richmond, VA; her three grandchildren, Anne, 24, John, 22, and Kate, 17. Also her sister Claire Metrulis-Donatelli of Mt. Wolf, PA; her nephew Gregory Donatelli and niece Alysia Donatelli. Her late parents were Mr. and Mrs. Charles Metrulis of Shenandoah, PA.

Elaine’s second daughter, Jennifer Anne, died of lymphoma at age 17. Her death was memorialized through a 25-year scholarship award at Hempfield High School and by the artist creation of what Elaine called “the Jenny Angel.”

A self-taught artist, Elaine participated in exhibitions throughout Lancaster County, created personal unique Christmas cards for decades and was a former member of the Lancaster County Art Association. She enjoyed producing two distinct types of art: impressionism with a Victorian influence and fanciful, whimsical illustrations.

A breast cancer survivor, Elaine was active for years as a counselor and volunteer for the Lancaster County Chapter of the American Cancer Society. She created an angel illustration of her late daughter years ago and unveiled it at the Lancaster County Patchwork Quilt Project, an outpouring of art, poetry and letters from people whose lives were touched by cancer. Stirred by the angel and her message, the local Cancer Society chapter printed angel Christmas cards as a fund-raising project. It was a great success. Hundreds of those angel cards circulated through the mails during the Christmas holidays.

Elaine was a devout and longtime member of St. Leo the Great Church of Rohrerstown. She and her husband were married in 1958 in the historic St. George’s Church in Shenandoah, PA. Had she not been married, she often said, she would have entered the Catholic sisterhood.

She was a graduate of the Grace Downs School in New York City. After graduation she lived there for two years then moved to Lancaster after marriage to join her husband. At that time, he was a reporter for the Lancaster New Era. Later he was appointed editor. For years Elaine was employed by Nancy Willcox Interiors of Lancaster.

Elaine devoted her life to establishing a family and raising her two daughters. They savored their family vacations, from Ocean City NJ, to Nantucket Island, from Disney World to Wellsboro, PA. In later years she enjoyed traveling with friends on mega-ship cruises and European tours. But invariably,

after a trip, she remarked that the place she loved most was her home on Snapper Dam Road.

Some of Elaine’s happiest days were spent in Edinburgh, Scotland, with daughter Kim and her son-in-law Jamie, who fulfilled a three-year contract employed by Dawson International of Scotland. She also treasured memories of Mother-Daughter Weekends at Wells College, NY, where Kim graduated. With the birth of her grandchildren, Elaine’s focus on family continued as she embraced her new role of grandmother with a passion.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30AM on Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church, 2427 Marietta Ave, Lancaster, PA with Rev. Peter I. Hahn as Celebrant. Interment will follow in St. Joseph’s New Catholic Cemetery. Family and friends will be received at the church from 10:30-11:30AM on Wednesday. Flowers will be received. If so desired, contributions can also be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Pl, Memphis, TN 38105