Lorene Kristy

The world lost a wonderful woman on November 11, 2022, when Lorene “Mitzi” Ruth Kristy passed away peacefully at her home, with loving daughter Debra by her side after living a long and fulfilling life of over 97 years.

Mitzi was the loving spouse of her husband, Tom, married for 67 years until his death in 2013.  She was also the dedicated and loving mother of her two daughters, Karen Jean MacInnes, of Sharon, CT, and Debra Ann Kristy Means, of Sheffield, PA, and Chautauqua, NY and her granddaughter, Allison Margery MacInnes, of Sharon, CT.

Mitzi was born on June 29, 1925, in Pittsburgh, PA, the daughter of the late Margaret and Milton Ostrowske, and loving sister of brother, Paul.  She attended Penn Hills High School where she enjoyed being a majorette, a member of the Kiltie Klub, and the lead in the school play.  After she graduated, as part of the Greatest Generation, she went to work in the offices at Edgewater Steel.  When Tom returned home from the war, they married, and he went to work as a teacher in Pittsburgh.  In the 1950s, they moved the family to Warren County, where Tom was an industrial arts teacher.  They would go on to design and build their home in Sheffield, where they lived for 65 years.

For Mitzi, everything regarding her family came first.  From attending her daughters' high school events and chaperoning dances, to learning to play golf with Tom and play in scrambles, she did it all.  In return, Tom learned to square dance, and they belonged to the Circle Eight and Apple Ciders and also enjoyed many happy nights at round dances called by their good friend, Joe Tarr, at “The Barn.”  Mitzi enjoyed her flower gardens, sewing her square-dancing outfits, and watching Lawrence Welk and Andy Griffith.  She also loved playing -- and winning -- many different card games with her family and friends.  Most of all, she loved to travel.

Mitzi traveled with the Tionesta Travelers and her best friend Jeanne Hendree.  Over the years, she toured Europe several times, cruised to Alaska and Hawaii, rode the Rocky Mountaineer across Canada, and took the SuperCat ferry to Nova Scotia.  She and Tom made many cross-country trips in their motor home, camping at National Parks along the way.  Mitzi always had an adventurous spirit, hiking the bridle trail at Yosemite with her daughter Karen and granddaughter, Allison, on her 75th birthday.

During a camping trip to Florida in 1976, Mitzi and Tom found Hammondell Campsites in Winter Haven because it was close to golf for Tom and had a pool for Mitzi.  For over forty years, they spent their winters there with many wonderful friends, enjoying the warm weather, golf scrambles, dancing, and visiting Cypress Gardens and Disney.  In fact, from the time the Magic Kingdom opened, they visited every year.  Mitzi loved all things Disney, and she especially enjoyed taking her family when they would come to visit.  She especially enjoyed riding Big Thunder Mountain, dining at the resorts, watching the parades, and seeing Tinkerbell fly during the fireworks.  In 2015, she celebrated her 90th birthday at the Magic Kingdom.

As she grew older, Mitzi's wish was to remain in the home she and Tom built, and with the care of her daughters and granddaughter, she did.  In addition to her parents and her beloved husband Tom, Mitzi was predeceased by her dear brother Paul on Okinawa, and her lifelong friends, Jeanne Hendree and Betty Elicker, as well as many other family members and wonderful friends.

Mitzi’s family will welcome family and friends to call on Wednesday, November 16, 2022, from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at the Borden Funeral Home of Sheffield, PA, and on Thursday, November 17, from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., with services immediately following at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Sheffield Cemetery.  Online condolences may be sent to the family through the Borden Funeral Home website at http://www.bordenfuneralhome.com.

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