Katherine (“Kathy”) A. Chmielewski, 86, died in Naples, Florida on October 25, 2023. Kathy was born in Jamaica, New York, to John Yaros and Anna Yaros (Flanagan) on August 26, 1937. She graduated from Bayside High School in Queens, New York, and worked in Manhattan before getting married to Chet Chmielewski and working with him in their family business.
As a child, Kathy developed a love for the beach while spending time on Long Island. She moved to St. Pete Beach, FL, with her husband and children in 1972. Soon thereafter, Kathy and Chet bought their dream house on the Gulf of Mexico. This enabled Kathy to enjoy the beach lifestyle she dreamed of as a child. After the death of her husband in 2014, Kathy moved closer to her children, settling in Naples, FL. Kathy was extremely proud of her family and was a loving, involved, and compassionate matriarch. She was a friendly, good-natured “people person,” as well as a fierce advocate for her husband and her family. Kathy was blessed with peace in her last days while spending time with her beloved family.
Kathy is survived by her five children, Bill (Veronica), Mark (Linda), Natalie Kirstein, Gary (Kimberly), and Paul, 14 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, and her siblings, David Yaros and Anne Marie Kenyon. She was preceded in death by her husband, Chet Chmielewski, in 2014, and her brothers, Marty and John Yaros. Kathy is dearly loved by her family and will be greatly missed but forever with us in our hearts.
A visitation for Katherine will be held Friday, November 3, 2023 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Beach Memorial Chapel, 301 COREY AVE, ST PETE BEACH, FL 33706. A funeral service will occur Saturday, November 4, 2023 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM at St John Vianney Catholic Church, 445 82nd Ave, St Pete Beach, FL 33706. A graveside service will occur Saturday, November 4, 2023 from 1:30 PM to 2:00 PM at Calvary Catholic Cemetery, 5233 118th Ave N, Clearwater, FL 33760.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.beachmemorial.com for the Chmielewski family.
