Gertrude Clare Hepner

Gertrude Clare “Trudy” Gertrude C. Hepner passed away peacefully surrounded by family on the evening of November 11th at Swan Creek Retirement Village. Trudy was born on August 12, 1919 to William and Barbara Gilgenbach in North Ridgeville, Ohio. She was the second youngest of nine children raised on a 100 acre farm and was a graduate of North Ridgeville High School. She married Wilbert A. (Bill) Hepner on October 28, 1942. At the time of their marriage, Bill was a sergeant in the U.S. Army and stationed at Camp Shelby located near Hattiesburg, Mississippi. After the wedding, they returned to Camp Shelby and remained there until Bill was deployed to fight the Japanese army in the Pacific theater. Trudy returned to North Ridgeville and supported the war effort by working as an inspector at General Industries in Elyria, Ohio. It was also during this time that their first child, Barbara was born. After the war, Bill and Trudy relocated to Toledo, Ohio in 1947. Upon their arrival in Toledo, they joined Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish and saw their five children graduate from the parish school. Trudy liked to garden, cook and maintain her home. She was an avid reader and loved to play cards especially a game called “66” with her sisters. She taught all of her children and grandchildren to play various types of solitaire. After the death of her husband in 1977, she acted on a desire to learn the game of golf. She played in a league at South Toledo Golf Club and played her last round of golf with her granddaughter Rachel when she was in her early 80’s. She loved sports, especially following her beloved Cleveland Indians, Browns and the Duke Blue Devils basketball team. She was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 35 years Bill; brothers Elmer, Cletus and Bernard; sisters Louella, Beatrice, Rita, Delphine and Marie. She is survived by her loving children Barbara (Graeme) Ossorio of Naples Fl., Jeffrey (Jennifer) Hepner, Terrence (Carol) Hepner, Pamela Klein of Mesa AZ, and Mary Beth (Abraham) Sabbagh also of Mesa Az. Survivors also include seven grandchildren Ashley Hepner of Phoenix, AZ., Rachel (James) Zawodny, Anthony (Allison) Ossorio of Jacksonville Fl., Courtney Klein of Phoenix AZ, Jaimie (Austin) Stolzfuts of Philipsburg MT, and Maya and John Sabbagh of Mesa AZ. We are also grateful that Trudy lived to see her first great-grandchildren Stella Clare Zawodny and Caroline Mae Ossorio. Friends may visit at the Coyle Funeral Home, 1770 S. Reynolds Rd., on Thursday from 2-8 pm. Funeral services will be held on Friday beginning at 9:15 am in the mortuary followed by the funeral mass in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church at 10 am. Interment Calvary Cemetery. Trudy’s family would like to thank the staffs of Nursing Resources, Senior Independence Hospice and Swan Creek Retirement Village for the gentle and loving care given to Trudy in the last years of her life. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, The Alzheimer’s Association, or a charity of the donor’s choice. Please view and sign the guest registry at CoyleFuneralHome.com.

Gertrude Clare Hepner

August 12, 1919 - November 11, 2013