Kathleen Ann Zucchi, age 68, of Manitowoc, passed away on Monday morning, September 14, 2020 at Bellin Hospital, Green Bay.
Kathy was born on December 3, 1951 in Manitowoc, daughter of the late Raymond and Helen (Petska) Naidl. She was a graduate of Roncalli High School.
On April 12, 1997, Kathy married Anthony Zucchi at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Manitowoc. She adored the life they built together and their beautifully blended family they both love so dearly.
Kathy was extraordinary; her passion for people and unwavering commitment to achieving positive change within an organization led her to an impressive professional career. In 1980, she began her career with H.C. Prange’s as a Clinique sales representative, quickly advancing into department, personnel, and operations management roles. Kathy continued to advance her Human Resources skills at Santa’s Best (formerly National Tinsel), where she served as Director of Human Resources until it closed in 1999. She quickly joined the Red Arrow Products team as their Manager of Human Resources until she retired in December of 2015.
She was the 2019 recipient of the Manitowoc Chamber of Commerce Athena Award for her professional achievement, community service and for actively and generously assisting women in their attainment of professional and leadership skills.
Kathy is survived by her husband, Anthony; her children, Cassandra Blashka (Scott) of Neenah, WI; Derrick (Alyssa) of Lindenhurst, IL; Cindy Kadow (Al) of Houston, TX; Tom Zucchi (Rachel) of Naples, FL; and Jeff Zucchi (Katie) of Belvidere, IL and her grandchildren; Ethan, Zach, Avery, Mack, Olivia, Wesley, Aleah, Venec, and Alex. Kathy is further survived by her siblings, Diane (Shel) Niquette, Dorothy (Jack) Reindl, Richard (Linda) Naidl, and Jean Naidl. She was preceded in death by her beloved Madeline Blashka.
As a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, Kathy gave her heart and soul to her family and community. She always seemed the find a way to excel professionally, serve her community extensively, and be present at every sporting event, dance recital, musical, or concert. She was everyone’s biggest cheerleader and continuously looked for opportunities to encourage others to achieve their dreams.
Kathy loved the Packers, cooking, gardening, and all things fashion. She was a season ticket holder and tailgate extraordinaire. Kathy and Tony’s tailgate experience was like no other – a culinary celebration in honor of their prized Packers and treasured friends.
The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to the dedicated teams of healthcare professionals at Holy Family Memorial and Bellin Hospital for their compassionate care of Kathy.
Funeral services will be held 12 p.m. on Friday, September 18, 2020 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church on Waldo, 1121 North 14th Street, Manitowoc. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Rev. Doug LeCaptain with burial to follow at Calvary Cemetery in Manitowoc. Relatives and friends may call at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church on Waldo from 11 a.m. until the time of services at 12 p.m.
In lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic and in an effort to keep everyone safe and healthy, the family requests everyone to wear masks and practice social distancing. A part of our effort to keep everyone safe, the family is planning to have the service available on livestream. Please visit the Harrigan Parkside Funeral Home for further details. Online condolences to the family may be sent to www.harriganparksidefuneralhome.com
The Harrigan Parkside Funeral Home and Crematory, North 11th and St. Clair streets, Manitowoc, is assisting the family with funeral arrangements.
