Carol A. Kozlowski

She was born May 23, 1940 in Dunkirk, the daughter of the late Adam J. and Josephine R. (Stuczynski) Maslach.

A 1957 alumna of Dunkirk High School, Mrs. Kozlowski attended Canisius College and graduated from Sisters of Charity School of Nursing in 1960.

She began her nursing career in 1960 as a staff nurse at Our Lady of Victory Hospital. A year later, she started her 45 years of service at Brooks Memorial Hospital as a staff nurse, also assisting Dr. Dana Wheelock at his office. During her career at Brooks, Mrs. Kozlowski was promoted to assistant head nurse of the medical/surgical unit, then head nurse of Maternity, followed by ten years as Associate Director of Nursing. She was named Vice President of Nursing in 1982, a position she held until her retirement in 2005.

Her many accomplishments included leading the nursing division toward centralization, incorporating principles of participative management as well as continuous quality improvement. She helped to expand the role of head nurses to the role of clinical nurse manager through mentoring and education. She developed a multidimensional communication system and delineated roles/responsibilities and authority of each management level. She also developed the JCAHO steering committee and accepted an adjunct clinical appointment at the State University of New York School of Nursing at Buffalo.

Professionally, Mrs. Kozlowski was a member of the American Society of Nursing Service Administrators, Organization of Nurse Executives of WNY which she served as treasurer from 1999-2000, District 1 NYSNA, Nursing Advisory Board for Jamestown Community College, Nursing Advisory Council, Upstate New York Transplant Services, Sisters of Charity School of Nursing Alumnae Association, WNY Catholic Nurses Association and the Brooks Memorial Hospital Auxiliary. From 2009 to the present, she had been a member of the Board of Directors at the Chautauqua Center Health Care Clinic. At the clinic, she participated on the facilities, personnel and recruitment committees.

A tireless and dedicated volunteer within her parish and the local senior community, she also enjoyed helping those in need. As a parishioner of Blessed Mary Angela Parish, Mrs. Kozlowski was active with the Festival and Sunshine committees as well as co-chairman of the Diocesan Millennium Milestone Grants Committee. She also had been a participant on the Lay Vicariate Council for the Diocese of Buffalo, a longtime member of the parish Fatima Society and a volunteer for St. Columban’s Festival.

Mrs. Kozlowski remained as active in her retirement as she had been throughout her working career. In 2006, she began to volunteer at the Dunkirk Senior Center. She was named the food bank manager in 2009 and was responsible for all aspects of the operating budget. Since 2010, she had served as secretary/treasurer at the center, becoming co-coordinator in 2011. She also had been chairman of the Gala, House, Membership and Sunshine committees.

Her past memberships included Hose Co. No. 3 Auxiliary, World War II Veterans Auxiliary and the St. Hyacinth’s Mothers Club.

A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister and aunt, Mrs. Kozlowski meant so much to so many. She was known to spend countless hours making pierogi for family and friends as a labor of love. A proficient writer, she entertained many shutins with her cards and lengthy notes which she diligently sent out. She will be greatly missed by her family, friends and so many more whose lives she touched.

Survivors include her husband of 53 years, Gerald A. Kozlowski, whom she married Nov. 30, 1963; three daughters, Lisa Kozlowski, Laura (David) Beehler and Allison Kozlowski; six grandchildren, Kiara Boyd, Amari Carter, Jessica Beehler, James Beehler, Marcel Carter and Neveah Carter; one sister, Sandra Tapasto; two brothers, Richard (Janet) Maslach and William Maslach; and many nieces and nephews.

Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by a sister, Alice (Norman) Klajbor.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday morning at 9:15 from the McGraw-Kowal Funeral Home, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 o’clock in Blessed Mary Angela Parish, Church of St. Hyacinth. Calling hours will be held this evening from 7-9 and Tuesday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at the funeral home. Our Lady of Fatima Society will recite the rosary Tuesday evening at 6:30. Burial will be in St. Hyacinth’s Cemetery.