Patricia (Mackenzie) Kolba

Age 75

Grief and thankfulness live in our hearts at the same time as we announce the passing of our wonderful wife and mother, Patricia Louise Kolba, who left us on August 13, 2026. Pat (or Patty, or Patty Lou, as many called her) was a talented writer and poet. She loved writing stories about her life, journaling, and writing heartfelt notes with poems to us. In fact, we got some help from her for this obituary from a beautiful life story journal she wrote for her grandchildren.

Pat was born in Painesville, Ohio, on July 25, 1951 to Russell and Ruth Mackenzie. She was an only child and had a quiet and loving childhood growing up in a “cottage across the river” in Gates Mills, Ohio. She loved playing in the woods around their home as a child and she enjoyed school, especially French class. Pat was surrounded by pets and developed a deep love for animals. She always remembered Tippy, her collie who she would take for long walks, and Twiggie, a Yorkie terrier. Her family also had cats as pets (Fang and Snoopy in particular), which she would carry on as a tradition her whole life, always having a cat in the home.

Her family eventually moved to a farm where her dad, Russell, was the caretaker. Here, Pat discovered a love of horses and spent a memorable summer working with her father on the farm after graduating from Mayfield High School in 1969. Around that time, she purchased a 1969 orange VW bug which she was very proud of and she renewed that fun way of getting around town later in life by purchasing another!

Around this time, Pat met the love of her life, Tom Kolba, at the Mad Hatter bar in Cleveland. Tom was a bartender there and it took three attempts to get Pat to give him her number. Once they started dating, it was clear to them both they were the ones for each other. They were married on November 2, 1974, and moved into a small bungalow in Parma. They enjoyed these early years of dating and marriage at the Kolba pool in Parma on Pleasant Valley Drive and at “the farm”, a group hang out spot. In 2025, they celebrated 51 years of marriage.

In 1979, they welcomed daughter Kelly, and in 1981 a son, Thomas (TJ). Pat called them Kellykins and Boyshik most of their lives and was an attentive, fun, and loving mom. She got involved with many of their activities and was always their number one support and fan. Pat and Tom attended countless soccer games, band performances, girl scout and cub scout events, and booster meetings throughout Kelly and TJ’s childhood. They even volunteered many years in a row for the sleepless night of After Prom. They enjoyed many, many summer trips as a family at Myrtle Beach, SC, where they stayed at their beloved Yachtsman. Many cats were a part of the family, including Chivas, Regal, Opal, Oreo, Lucky, Charmin, Shadow, Kitty, Pumpkin, Tux, and Schnitz.

Seeing her children meet their spouses and having their own families was one of Pat’s greatest joys. She welcomed Ted Bickley, Kelly’s husband, into the fold as another son to love and was overjoyed by the real life “Hallmark movie story” when TJ married his love, Lauren. Ted and Kelly’s children, Teddy, Russell, and Anna, were all born in North Carolina, and Pat and Tom made numerous trips there to greet each new grandchild. She was thrilled when the Bickleys moved back to Ohio and she doted on the grandkids by baking, cooking delicious Easter dinners, and planning the most fun and memorable Christmas Eves. TJ, Lauren, and her grandson, Charles, live in Manchester, England, and getting a photo or video of Charles from TJ and Lauren made her very happy. She couldn't wait to share these with anyone within earshot!

She is survived also by her sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Lynn and Hank Pliske, and her nieces and nephew, Michelle, Alison (Andy), and Henry. They all held a very loving place in her heart, having shared many special life experiences together. She also enjoyed spending birthdays and other special times, like the grandkids’ piano recitals, with her family by marriage, Ted and Bev Bickley, where everyone shared many laughs.

Pat was always a passionate and hard worker, dedicating her work life to multiple companies such as F.B. Wright, Premier Industrial Corporation, Qual-Fab, and Heartland as an administrative assistant. Her coworkers, no matter where she worked, always became her family. For many years, she and Tom were the owners of the Parma Glass Block company. They would often get McDonald’s coffee and head to install glass block windows together around Northeast Ohio. Tom handled the outdoor work, while Pat took care of the inside, cleaning up after Tom’s mess.

Pat was an active member of St. Mary Magdalene Byzantine Catholic Church. She and Tom devoted much time and energy to their pierogi fundraiser and European festival. They attended liturgy every Sunday and their church family was very special to them.

She loved earrings, her “walk abouts” around the yard with Tom, reading, cooking traditional meals, and holidays, especially Easter. Anyone who knew Pat knows that she was always up for a beer, a gab-fest about anything, a cuddle with a cat, and a shared laugh. Laughter and smiles were the “Hallmark” of her life. We will all miss her so much.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents, Russell and Ruth, and her in-laws, Peter and Margaret Kolba and survived by her husband, Tom Kolba, daughter Kelly (Ted) Bickley, son TJ (Lauren) Kolba, and grandchildren Teddy, Russell, Anna, and Charles.

Friends and family will be welcome at visiting hours at Mallchok Funeral Home, 5660 Ridge Road, Parma, OH 44129, on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 from 3:00 to 7:00 pm.

A service will be held at St. Mary Magdalene Byzantine Catholic Church, 5390 W. 220th Street, Fairview Park, OH 44126 on Thursday, August 20, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. A luncheon will follow the service in the church hall. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Parma Animal Shelter, 6260 State Road, Parma, OH 44134.

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