Obituary of Mary Colette Szeszycki

Mary Colette Szeszycki, 66, of Iowa City, Iowa, passed away peacefully at home on October 6, 2024, surrounded by her family after bravely battling ovarian cancer for over five years.

Born on January 16, 1958, in Rockford, Illinois, Colette was the daughter of Robert E. Roman, Sr. and Barbara Ann Roman (Dworak) Roman. She attended St. Peter Catholic School (Class of 1972) and graduated from Boylan Central Catholic High School (Class of 1976). During her youth, she engaged in ballet, poms, and theater, and worked as a nurse’s aide at North Rockford Convalescent Home alongside her identical twin sister, Theresa.

Colette attended Loras College, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Business in 1980. It was there that she met her husband, Don, and they married in 1981. The couple eventually made Iowa City their home, where Colette followed the inspiring example set by her parents, dedicating her life to her family and community.

Colette was profoundly devoted to her family. For decades, she dedicated herself to being an incredible wife and raising her four children.  She rarely missed a swim meet, softball game, music recital, or marching band competition. In her later years, she embraced her role as a loving grandmother, attending countless recitals and sporting events, enjoying “no school days” filled with adventures, and vacationing with her family at her beloved childhood destination, Lake Mills, Wisconsin.  She never missed an opportunity to gather with her family and friends.  She spent many Hawkeye football games, vacations, and holidays preparing delicious meals, playing card games, and laughing in the company of the many who loved her.

Colette had a deep passion for teaching children and spent many of her working years doing just that. She educated hundreds of preschoolers at University Preschool and taught thousands of religious education students at Regina Catholic Education Center.   Additionally, she trained numerous babysitters as a Safe Sitter Instructor and led local Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, all to try and make the world a slightly better place than we found it.

In her spare time, Colette was an enthusiastic volunteer, always seeking to brighten the lives of others. She delivered The Daily Iowan for 20 years alongside her children, reupholstered furniture for Houses into Homes, drove for Meals on Wheels, and prepared and served meals for the Iowa City Free Lunch Program. During the COVID pandemic, she baked and delivered cookies to hundreds of people who were isolated at home.  She enjoyed bringing a bit of sunshine to as many people as possible, every single day.

Even while fighting ovarian cancer, Colette remained dedicated to living life to the fullest with unwavering optimism. She often expressed, “Though life is giving us lemons right now, find the sugar to make life sweeter.” This philosophy serves as a beautiful reminder of her incredible spirit as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, grandmother, teacher, volunteer, and friend.

Colette’s loving and resilient spirit lives on in her husband, Don; their children, Emily (Luke) Allen, Tony, Elizabeth Simpson, and Claire (Andy) Koch; her mother, Barbara; her siblings Bob (Mary) Roman, Mark (Teri) Roman, David (Janet) Roman, Mary Theresa (Jeff) Fisher, Lizz (Jerry) Roman, and Greg (Patti) Roman; her grandchildren, Leigh, Charlie, Eli, and Carter; and many beloved nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. She was preceded in death by her father, Robert, and grandparents, Gino Roman, Irene (DeSprit) Roman, Benjamin Dworak, and Winifred (Williams) Dworak.

In her final act of service, Colette donated her body to the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine’s Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology. Her family will hold a private celebration of life on Saturday, October 12th. In lieu of flowers, they kindly request donations be made to Houses into Homes in Colette’s honor - https://donorbox.org/in-memory-of-colette-szeszycki.