Coletta Jane Kudlack

Coletta Jane Kudlack (Norton), age 87, passed away on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. She is preceded in death by her parents, John and Ann Norton, her brother, Patrick, and sisters, Mary Ann and Mary Loretta, and her special aunt, Pauline and uncle, Bob Covill who raised her as a child. Coletta is survived by her husband of 58 years, Jim, their son, James Martin, their daughters, Catherine (Dave) McDonald and Caroline (Roberto) Pena, sister and brother-in-laws, Beverly (Ed) Shipstad, Bill Kudlack, and her grandchildren, Andrew and Natalie McDonald, Gabriella and Isabella Pena, and Gwendolyn Kudlack. She is also survived by her special cousin, Mary Hehl and special sister-in-law, Sally Norton, along with many nieces and nephews. Coletta never had any doubt regarding what she wanted to do in life, she knew that she wanted to become a nurse. She graduated from Mercy Central School of Nursing and later received a Bachelor of Science degree from Marquette University. Coletta worked in many areas of healthcare. She was an ER nurse, school nurse, and eventually she ended up working in the Grand Valley Blood Program. She was a member of the Comstock Literary Club, sometimes reading a book a day, and other times teaching adults to read. She and her husband Jim, spent countless vacations on Beaver Island building their family cottage, which is still loved and used today. She also spent summers on Murray Lake. When Coletta retired, she enjoyed having lunch with other retired nurses and friends. She spent lots of time with her grandchildren, taking them to places such as Frederik Meijer Gardens and the Zoo. In her later years, she was known for gardening. You could usually find her sitting on her garden cart tending to her flowers and chatting with neighbors as they walked by. She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, caregiver, friend, follower of Christ, and overall human being. The family would like to thank all of our friends for their sincere love and support. We also want to give a special thank you to the medical staff at Spectrum and Spectrum Health Hospice, (newly known as Corewell Health), for all of their help and support. Coletta has been cremated, as she wanted. The family will meet friends before the 11:00AM Mass at St. Patrick church in Parnell, Michigan on Friday, September 29, 2023. A burial will follow after Mass at St. Patrick’s Cemetery. A luncheon will be hosted after the service. In memory of Coletta and in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Spectrum Health Hospice (Corewell Health) or the charity of your choice.

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Coletta Jane Kudlack

June 16, 1936 - September 20, 2023