Laura Kleparek

Dedicated Teacher, Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Aunt & Friend

Laura Kleparek, passed away Sunday, July 30, 2017, after a courageous battle with metastatic breast cancer. She passed away at home, surrounded by her loving family and close friends.

Laura graduated in 1983 from Springfield High School. She graduated cum laude with her Bachelor's of Recreation & Leisure from the University of Toledo. She married her loving husband, Tim Kleparek, on August 8, 1997. She earned a Master's in Education and taught at her Alma Mater, Springfield, for 25 years.

For over 30 years, Laura devoted her life to education. Her passion was teaching and she loved her students as her own. She never stopped teaching after her diagnosis in April 2015. With a devoted heart, Laura would say, "I can still do this...they need me," all while caring for her son, Ben, 12, and daughter, Emily, 15.

She relied on her faith, the support of her family and community, and her love for her children to carry on despite treatment. "She was a person who was so selfless. She loved everyone and everyone thought so much of her," said her mother, Connie Ashbaugh, "She continued to do everything she could to be the perfect mother to her children, wife to her husband and she was the best daughter anyone could ask for."

Laura was born on December 14, 1965 in Toledo, OH, to James Schmidlin and Connie Ashbaugh. She grew up in a loving family with one brother, James Schmidlin. Laura was happiest when she gave of herself. She served as a Sunday School teacher, crew leader for VBS, and on the Church Vestry. She also coached soccer, was a Girl Scout leader, and served on the Springfield Soccer Association.

Besides her children, Laura is survived by her husband, parents, stepmother Patricia Schmidlin, three brothers James (Sonia) Schmidlin, Tim Schmidlin, and Jon Schmidlin, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. She is preceded in death by her grandparents Madeline Kamer and Maude and John Schmidlin.

A memorial service will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Maumee on Sunday, August 13. Visitation will be at 1 pm followed by the service at 2 pm. Visitation will continue in Fellowship Hall following the service. Please join the family in wearing green, her favorite color. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Kleparek's Family Fund at gofundme.com.