Lucille Sass

With a life that spanned times of great change in the world around her, Lucille Sass was truly beautiful on the inside and out. She was a gracious and humble woman who was continually focused on blessing those around her. Fully devoted to her family, Lucille treasured her roles as a wife and mother, but she just may have argued that nothing was sweeter than becoming a grandmother and great-grandmother later in life. Although life was not without times of trial for her, Lucille faced whatever came her way with a quiet strength that was such an inspiration to others. Life will never be the same without her here, but she leaves behind a timeless legacy that her loved ones will proudly carry on in her footsteps. The decade that we commonly recall as the Roaring Twenties was a time of great prosperity in America. Innovation brought us things like radios, washing machines, and cars that were mass produced on assembly lines during a time when the lights of Broadway never shined brighter. Amidst this exciting time was the year 1928 that was filled with great joy for Harold and Margery (Wolford) Yoakam as they announced the birth of the baby girl they named Harriet Lucille on October 21, 1928, in McComb, Ohio. She was the second of seven children in her family as she was raised alongside her brothers, Jim and Donny, and her sisters, Jean, Evalyn, Dorothy Jane, and Carol. Lucille, as she was usually known, experienced a fairly typical upbringing with a father working as a farmer on other peoples land while her mother was a homemaker. Together the family attended the local Methodist church while Lucille attended local schools in McComb. To earn some extra money for the family, she also did some housework for some families as a teen. After graduating from McComb High School, Lucille enrolled in Lima Memorial Hospital School of Nursing. Hardworking and driven, she paid for the schooling herself by working various jobs. Licensed as a registered nurse, Lucille worked at St. Vincents Hospital in Toledo and then moved to St. Lukes Hospital in Maumee a bit later. Not to be forgotten during this time was Lucilles introduction to the young man who would change the course of her life forever. His name was George Sass, and they were introduced by mutual friends. They began dating and soon found themselves deeply in love. With a desire to establish a life together, they were married on November 27, 1957, in Toledo. Together the couple welcomed three children including Roberta in 1958, Timothy in 1959, and Georgette in 1960. Lucille focused her attention on raising her children during the day while working as a nurse in the emergency room at Riverside Hospital. She also worked as a floor nurse at times. Sadly, Lucilles husband died of a heart attack in 1966, leaving Lucille to raise the three children on her own. Things were tough for her financially, but she was resourceful and made ends meet. Lucille made some extra money by working as the camp nurse for a Girl Scout camp for several summers while she and all the kids lived at the camp. Lucille also made the time to be an active part of her childrens lives in many ways including as a volunteer at their school. She eventually took a job as a ParaPro at the school, working with special needs children. Once her children were older, Lucille took a job as a nurse for the American Red Cross in Toledo, working on the Blood-Mobile Unit traveling around the area doing blood drives. She spent 25 years with the Red Cross, eventually becoming the head nurse for the organization before retiring in 1998. In her down time, Lucille enjoyed keeping busy with her various interests. She loved music, especially classical music and waltzes, and she made sure to foster an appreciation for music in her children. For years there were piano lessons, season tickets to the local symphony, and endless amounts of her support as a band parent. In later years, Lucille was very proud that her granddaughter became a music teacher. She could even make a little music herself as she was an amazing whistler who was always whistling along with the music as she played it around the house. Creatively gifted, Lucille loved doing anything with a needle. She sewed, crocheted, knitted, did needle point, and created all sorts of other crafty kind of things. Lucille was known for making matching outfits for the grandkids, and she also made them all custom sleeping bags in the shape of animals. Over the years she always had some sort of project going on. During the summer months, Lucille loved being out gardening. Later in life, Lucille maintained her active lifestyle for as long as she could. After retiring, she volunteered as an usher at the Stranahan Theater where she made many friends and enjoyed seeing the performances. Over time, all of Lucilles children married and lived all around the country and even overseas. She loved traveling to see them and their families, and her grandchildren looked forward to visits from Oma. It was so exciting for them when she opened her suitcase with all of the handmade clothes and presents that shed put endless amounts of time into creating. There were trips to Germany, Washington, and North Carolina among others. Lucille was deeply devoted to her children and their families as well as to her extended family as many of them lived nearby. Over the years, Lucille had some health issues. She underwent back surgery, and in 2005 contracted the west nile virus, which took several months to overcome. Although she lived on her own for a time, Lucille eventually needed more help and decided to Move to Grand Haven, Michigan, to be near her daughter, Georgette. There, she lived in assisted living at Christian Haven for a few years, but she later moved to Seville Assisted Living. Lucille greatly enjoyed living there and appreciated the wonderful staff. With unending devotion to her loved ones, Harriet Lucille Sass was such a blessing. She was generous, selfless, and gracious with gifts and talents that she used to help others in ways both great and small. Lucille accomplished so much of which to be proud, but she was a humble woman whose family was her greatest source of pride and joy. Deeply loved, she will be forever missed. Harriet Lucille Sass died on Monday, December 7, 2015. Lucilles family includes her son, Timothy (Andrea) Sass of Germany; daughters, Roberta (Brian) Haren of GA, Georgette (Bruce Ostrow) Sass of Grand Haven; grandchildren, Timothy Sass, Daniel (Isabella) Sass; Elizabeth (Shawn) Albea, Aileen (Brett) Ward, Quin Ostrow, Ozette Ostrow; 3 great grandchildren; sisters, Jean Metzger, Evalyn Bauman & Carol Falk, all of OH. Lucille was preceded in death by her husband, George in 1966; sister, Deedee Skottegard; brothers, Jim & Donnie Yoakam. A service will be held on Monday, December 14, 2015, 1:00 p.m. at Toledo Memorial Park - Swan Lake Chapel, 6382 Monroe St, Sylvania, OH 43560. Memorials can be made to American Red Cross. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.