photo by Kristin Lukowski
Sylvia Kolaz, former Catholic League secretary, suffered a heart attack and passed away on Friday, January 28, 2011. She will be laid out at R.C. Aleks & Sons Funeral Home, 1324 Southfield in Lincoln Park on Monday, January 31, from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The funeral mass will be 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 1, at Christ the Good Shepard, Lincoln Park.
Please keep her family and especially her mother Mary in your prayers.
In her 40 plus years with the Archdiocese of Detroit, Sylvia Kolaz was proud to be called “Secretary.” She certainly had the skills and performance to be called “Director” but she was proud to be a Secretary in the Archdiocese of Detroit and the Catholic League is proud that she served the final 18 years of her career with CHSL.
Her time at 305 Michigan Avenue began in 1965 working with Bishop Harrington who was then the Director of Education. After six years with the Catholic Schools office Sylvia served along with Ted Karpowicz in the Office of Special Projects which provided lunch service to hundreds of Catholic Schools from 1971 to 1993. When this office closed in 1993 Sylvia accepted a position with then Catholic League Director Tom Rashid.
After 11 years with Tom and 7 with Vic Michaels, Sylvia was a top performer in the high production pace of the Catholic League Athletic Office along with her pal Stephanie Caruso. From office accountant and bookkeeper to preparer of countless publications and program books, Sylvia juggled many tasks and had the institutional knowledge of four decades in office and Church work. She could take shorthand and type faster than Tom or Vic could talk.
In her time with the Archdiocese of Detroit, four Archbishops were appointed by the Pope, there were six Directors of Education, six Superintendents of Catholic Schools, five Catholic League Directors and hundreds of other colleagues serving by her side. Through all these days and good people the flexible and caring Sylvia Kolaz persevered and contributed immeasurably to the life of the Church and Catholic Schools.
Sylvia is survived by her mom, Mary Kolaz, brother Paul, sister Mary Carolyn and many nieces and nephews, all of whom were very much a part of the operation that brought you the Prep Bowl and the Catholic League since 1993. It was only natural that her final official event with the Catholic League, was Prep Bowl XXXVII, which was dedicated to her.
It is with a heavy heart that we share this news about the Secretary of the Prep Bowl.
Written by Vic Michaels, Director of the Catholic League
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