Kay Francis Mcclelland

Kay Francis McClelland, affectionately known to all as Kay, embarked on her final, undoubtedly humorous adventure on June 23, 2024, after an extended illness. Born on October 10, 1941, in Superior, Wisconsin, Kay's infectious laughter and larger-than-life personality ultimately found their final standing ovation in Lancaster, Ohio.

Kay lived a life that could only be described as a masterclass in joy. Her journey from the shores of Lake Superior to the heart of Ohio was filled with the kind of laughter that could light up the darkest room. She was the embodiment of the phrase, "If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything," a sentiment famously echoed by the iconic Marilyn Monroe.

Preceded in death by her parents, Louis and Elnor Jaeger Johnson, her siblings Carol Giacomi, Margie Hanson, and Arnold (Buddy) Johnson, as well as her sons Jimmy Hack McKay, Scotty McKay, and her Daughter Denise Ann Schmid and her great-granddaughter Taylor Patience McKay, Kay's legacy of love and laughter is carried on by her remaining family. Her sister Yvonne Quam, her children Jamie East, Patrick McKay (with Jeannie Beck), Todd and Cheryl McKay, her adoring grandchildren Jaclyn, Casey, Kayla, Blake, Christina, Matthew, Kyle, Olivia, and her beloved great-grandson Carter, along with her son-in-law Jimmy Schmid, and a host of nieces and nephews, will all miss her dearly.

Kay's professional life was as vibrant as her personality. A serial entrepreneur, she owned and operated several businesses, each infused with her unique brand of wit and charm. Her work was more than a career; it was a series of stages on which she performed the role of a lifetime – a businesswoman with a punchline always at the ready.

Those who knew Kay understood that she loved any and everybody. A stranger was just a friend she hadn't joked with yet. She had a knack for helping others and could brighten the gloomiest of days with her radiant smile and a well-timed joke. Her sense of humor wasn't just a trait; it was her superpower.

Family was the cornerstone of Kay's world. She loved her family immensely, and her faith was as strong as her spirit was free. To say she loved her God "oh mighty" would be an understatement; her faith was as integral to her as her ability to find the funny in any situation.

Describing Kay is easy: loving, funny, spirited. She was a comet blazing across the sky, leaving a trail of giggles and snorts in her wake. Her ability to find humor in the everyday was a gift she eagerly shared with everyone she met.

So, as we bid farewell to the incomparable Kay Francis McClelland, let's honor her in the way she would've wanted: with a smile on our faces and a chuckle in our hearts. After all, in the words of the great Groucho Marx, "I intend to live forever, or die trying." Kay, without a doubt, is somewhere out there, still living it up, probably cracking jokes with the angels and keeping the heavens roaring with laughter.

To all who knew her, Kay was not just a bright spot in their lives; she was the whole darn sun. And while the stage of life may be a little dimmer without her, the echoes of her laughter will resonate in the hearts of her loved and cherished family, and the countless lives she touched, forever.