Obituary of Edward M. Kozey

Edward Michael Kozey, 73, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 6th, 2023.

Ed was the oldest of three children born in Cleveland, OH to Edward and Ann Marie Kozey on January 8, 1950.  He worked for DuPont Chemical Co. (Cleveland, OH & Niagara Falls, NY Plants) for 41 years, spending the majority of his career in the Emergency Response Care Program (TRANSCAER).  He had a passion for his faith and encouraging others, and focused on that after he retired in 2014 and moved to Summerville, SC.

He met his wife, Jeanetta (nee Varney), on a blind date in 1972. She worked at a beauty shop and after their first encounter he truly believed that she was, “The One.”  They married on November 9, 1973, surrounded by friends and family in Northeast, OH.  On September 13, 1974, they had their first son, Todd.  On September 5, 1977, they welcomed their second son, Ryan.  Lastly, they welcomed their daughter Christen into the world on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1978.   Ed worked very hard in his career to make sure that his family was cared for.

He had many titles: husband, dad, brother, son, friend, “Honey,” “Eddie,” “Papa,” and to those who were close to him, “Big Ed.” With all three of his kids actively engaged in local sports in Western New York, he was a fixture at as many of their games as he could possibly attend. Common “Big Ed” sightings included Lewiston-Porter High School, Niagara Pioneer Soccer League fields, Youngstown Recreation fields, Whirlpool Park in Deveaux and Sal Maglie Stadium in Niagara Falls. He preferred to stand at the fence line of many venues, and was known to utter the phrase, “Take no Prisoners,” from time to time.

Prior to supporting the athletic interests of his kids, he also participated in many softball teams with industry partners and was a proud member of the Country Club Campground softball team as well.  He was actively engaged in coaching and even served as a mentor and friend to youth at the Youngstown Teen Center (Youngstown, NY).

Ed had a strong passion for his church family, Journey Church, in Summerville, SC.  After recommitting his faith to God on November 17, 2017, he continued to be molded as a disciple of Christ.  A member of the prayer ministry team and participant in the senior Donut and Devotions Group, Ed was known as the “Donut Man,” and could be found in the corner praying for each leader and every seat in the auditorium on Sunday mornings.

He was preceded in death by Ann Marie (mom), Edward (dad), and many other beloved relatives.

He is survived by his wife Jeanetta (nee Varney), brother Jim, sister Kathy (“Hoot”) McCann, sons Todd (Cynthia) & Ryan (Erin), daughter Christen, & grandchildren (some of whom he affectionately referred to as “scrub buckets”): Hailey, Jocelyn, Samantha, Elijah, Morgan, Ryleigh & Joseph.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to Journey Church’s Benevolence fund- Here’s how to give:

Go To: https://journeychurchsc.org/give/

- Select “give online”

- Select “amount”, enter “next”

- Select “continue as guest”

- Fill out key information

- On the dropdown menu for fund, select:

o Other: Benevolence

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