Terrie Ann Kaczmarek

Terrie A. Kaczmarek, 77, passed away February 3, 2024 at her daughter’s home in Schoolcraft. Terrie was born January 22, 1947 in Three Rivers, Michigan, the daughter of Lawrence and Marian (VanOver) Speece. 

Terrie graduated from Schoolcraft High School in 1965. After getting married and having her girls, Terrie decided she wanted to be a nurse and attended Morraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois. Although she left nursing school just short of receiving her LPN, Terrie was a CNA at the Little Sisters of the Poor nursing home in Milwaukee. Upon returning to Schoolcraft in 1983 with her daughters, she began working for Pension & Group Services in Kalamazoo as a claims adjustor, where, after a few acquisitions and name changes (including HRM Claim Management), she retired from CBCA Administrators in the early 2000s as a stop-loss auditor. In her more active years, Terrie was a very involved grandmother and Nena (great-grandmother). She enjoyed baking and had a cake business with her sister, Linda. She also liked to bowl, had season tickets to the Kalamazoo Symphony and was an avid Detroit Pistons fan. In her later years, she enjoyed spending time with her great-grandchildren, end-less word searches, painting and coloring; and if you stopped by for a visit, you would have been treated to a movie marathon on the Hallmark Channel. Little known fact, Terrie played the accordion in her youth. She also had a passion for elephants – we can only imagine that she found in them a kindred spirit. 

Terrie is survived by her daughters, Claudia Eldred of Portage, Kimberly Kaczmarek of Schoolcraft and New Fairfield, Connecticut; grandchildren, Cody Eldred and Shawna (Janino) Rivera; 8 great-grandchildren; her brother, Richard (Terri) Speece of Vicksburg; and several nephews. She was preceded in death by both her parents and an older sister, Linda Speece Simkins.

A graveside service will be held at 2:00pm on Thursday, February 8 in Schoolcraft Cemetery. To view Terrie’s personalized webpage please visit https://www.langelands.com

The family appreciates the love and care our mother and grandmother received from the nursing and residential care teams at MediLodge of Portage where Terrie had been a resident since May 2019.  Special appreciation for Tina, whom Terrie loved very much. Sincere gratitude to Fresenius Kidney Care Kalamazoo East who cared for Terrie during her dialysis treatments and finally to Gentiva Hospice for supporting Terrie during her final days at home in Schoolcraft.