Dorene Ann Koby

Dorene Ann Koby, 72 of La Crossedied peacefully at home on Friday, October 28th, 2011surrounded by her family after a long courageous battle with cancer. She was bornJanuary 25th, 1939inLa Crosse,WI, to Leland and Ann (Rottscheit) Peart. She graduated fromAquinasHigh Schoolin 1957.In that same year she married Richard Herring and had four daughters. In 1976, she married Robert Koby and they shared 34 happily married years together. In 1998, she retired after working 32 years atGundersonLutheranMedicalCenter. After retirement she enjoyed traveling toEurope,Alaskaand other parts of theUnited StatesandCanada. She also was able to devote more time to her love of the arts. Dorene loved attending art classes and work shops perfecting her techniques and was a member of the La Crosse Society Arts and Crafts. She always kept busy preparing for the next art shows or gallery exhibition. Selling her first painting was truly a rewarding experience. Dorene received the Stateline Artists Award for outstanding work exhibited at the Wisconsin Regional Art Program in 2007. She expressed her creativity through her love of painting, gardening, sewing, and knitting. Dorene was political activist and participated in various political campaigns.She had an adventurous spirit and wasnt afraid to try new things. Dorene was very proud of her four daughters and eleven grandchildren and were the joy of her life. She was a big fan of her grandchildrens sporting events and activities and rarely missed an event. She enjoyed the wonderful gourmet meals her loving husband prepared and the weekend movies they shared. Dorene was a very supportive and loving wife, mother and grandmother and will be sadly missed by her family and friends. She is survived by her four daughters, Susan (Mark Kendhammer) Lennartz, Lisa Peterson, Kathleen (Greg) Henriksen of La Crosse and Linda (Dan) Smith of La Crescent; eleven grandchildren, Benjamin (Sarah) Strom, Hunter Lennartz, Christopher Peterson, Kelley (Mike) Schultz, Kyle and Max Kammel, Samuel, Alexander, and Erik Henriksen, Lindsey (Ethan) Webinger and Adam Smith; two great grandchildren Finley Strom and Owen Webinger;five stepchildren Jim (Cindy) Koby, Jackie (Chuck) Meir, Jeff (Debbie) Koby, Jenny (Kevin) Gobel, and Julie (Steve) Mace; nine step grandchildren Erica and Chanda Koby, Quinton (Jamie) Weber and Rossi Weber, Matt Koby, Jessica (James) Monsour, Josh (Hiromi) Gerke, Michael (Ashley) McRill and Molly Koby; four step great grandchildren, Sean, Dylan, Kentaro, and Kojiro.She is further survived by nieces Jennifer (Peart) Collier, Donna Overson, Melissa and Amanda Boswell and nephew Nicholas Boswell; her sister-in-law, Olivia Estep; great nieces and nephews; many cousins and her special Aunt Alice (Albert) Bauer and her special pet Oreo, you gave her much love and comfort. She was preceded in death by her loving husband in 2010; parents and beloved brothers, Leland Sonny Peart and recent loss of Kenneth Boswell; her loving grandparents, Peter and Mary Rottscheit; several aunts, uncles and cousins. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, November 4th, 2011 at 10:30 AM at Mary, Mother of the Church Parish at St. Thomas More Catholic Church. Rev. Douglas Robertson will officiate. Burial will be in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery. Friends may call at the Schumacher-Kish Funeral Home of La Crosse on Thursday from 4:00 7:00 Pm and at the church on Friday from 9:30 AM until the time of services. A Prayer Service will be held Thursday evening at 6:30 PM. A special thank you to the all the caring staff atGundersen-LuthernMedicalCenter. Memorials may be directed to theGundersen-LuthernCancer Centerfor Lung Cancer Research.