Mary Margaret (Skelly) Damiecki Lenhard

Mary Margaret (Skelly) Damiecki Lenhard, age 86, of Newark, DE and formerly of New Castle, DE, passed away on August 21, 2014. She was born in Pittsburgh, PA on April 29, 1928 to the late John and Margaret Skelly. She was the first of five children and lived through the Great Depression and WWII making her life one of learned hard work, responsibility and frugality. She became Micki on meeting the love of her life, Stanley Damiecki, with whom she shared 44 years of marriage and raised 5 children. Micki was always busy and along with Stan was a founding and longtime active member of Holy Spirit Church where she served in the choir, church cleaning crew, Sodality, carnival and Christmas bazaar committees. She bowled with the Catholic Women’s Bowling League. Her family was foremost and fellow parishioners along with neighbors were her friends. She enjoyed playing cards, organizing backyard BBQs, vacationing in Fenwick Island and visiting at the holidays. Micki was a long time member of the Swanwyck Garden Club and volunteered at the John G. Leach School and the VA Hospital in Elsmere, DE in their gardening programs for many years. When Stanley passed away, Micki mourned deeply but busied herself with family, work and gardening. In 1994, she remarried a family friend who had been widowed, Bill Lenhard, with whom she shared nearly 17 years of marriage. Micki along with Bill continued to support Holy Spirit Church and in 2009, earned the Diocesan Medal of Merit for their collective efforts. The two traveled extensively and enjoyed their golden years together. As age began to rob her of her vitality and after Bill passed away, Micki chose to live at Somerford House, an assisted living residence. Her family wishes to acknowledge the loving and superb care that the staff of both Somerford and Vitas Hospice gave to their mother. In addition to her parents, Micki is predeceased by her husbands, Stanley A. Damiecki and William W. Lenhard, Sr., and her brother, Frank. She is survived by her sister Nancy (Dave) and brothers Richard (Carole) and Tom. Micki’s children will always cherish her memory and all the loving ways she taught them to live, especially to be family. Gerri & Bill Irish, Terri & Todd Stephan, Danny Damiecki, Chrissie & Doug Thompson and David Damiecki will miss their Mom very much. Also remembering Micki are Bill’s children, Bill, Jr. and Arlene, Tom and Lorraine, Jerry and Christine, Michael and Michele, and Diane and Larry. Micki also leaves many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews who will always be reminded of the love of their Granny/ Great Gran and Aunt. Micki loved flowers, so to her honor her memory, the family requests that colorful clothing be worn to their Mom’s visitation and funeral¦no black please. Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11:30 am on Tuesday morning, August 26, 2014 at Holy Spirit R.C. Church, 12 Winder Road, Garfield Park, New Castle, DE, where a visitation for family and friends will be held from 9:30 am until 11:30 am. Interment will follow in St. Peter’s Church Cemetery, Old New Castle, DE. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions in Micki’s name be made to the Caterina Benincasa Dominican Monastery at Holy Spirit Church, 6 Church Road, New Castle, DE 19720.