Theresa Marie (Karmazin) Skalka passed away peacefully on August 16, 2025, at the age of 87. She passed from this life in hospital in San Diego, CA, surrounded by family.

Theresa was born on September 24, 1937, in Lawrence, Nebraska, the second of three children of Frank E. Karmazin and Ludmilla M. (Mazour) Karmazin. She and her older brother Jerome and younger sister Janet grew up on the family farm located five miles east of Lawrence, NE. She graduated from Nelson High School in 1955. She married Bernard Skalka of Deweese, NE in 1958 while both were attending the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. She graduated in 1959 with a Bachelor’s degree in Home Economics and promptly became a housewife and mother.

They lived in Lincoln for another year while Bernard taught at the University in the Theater Arts Department. While there, they had two sons, Gregory and Daniel. They then moved to River Falls, WI, where Bernard taught at Wisconsin State University for several years and daughter Laura was born. The family then moved to Normal, IL, where Bernard taught for several years at Illinois State College and son Patrick was born.

In 1967, Bernard accepted a position on the faculty of the California State University (then College), Long Beach. After living in Long Beach, CA for a year, the family moved to the house in Cypress, CA where the four children were raised and the couple lived until Bernard’s passing in 2022. Theresa then moved into an assisted living facility in San Diego, near Greg, until her passing.

In retirement, Theresa enjoyed travel with Bernard; their trips included many visits to Hawaii, Las Vegas and Laughlin, as well as trips to Switzerland, the Czech Republic and other European destinations. She also enjoyed gardening, growing plumerias and orchids and being with family. She was a loving wife and a caring mother and grandmother who encouraged her children and grandchildren to do their best.

She is survived by sister Janet, children Gregory (wife Jo Ann), Daniel, Laura (husband Jeffrey) and Patrick, and grandchildren Christopher (wife Carolyn), Allison, Brandon (fiancée Rena) and Jacob.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 9:30 AM at Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church in Deweese, NE, with burial at St. Martin’s Cemetery, Deweese.

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