Kathleen M. Stiles

Kathleen (Quirk) Stiles, 89, reluctantly left her “little ones” but joyously made the wonderful journey to see her Lord and Savior, January 4, 2013.

She was born to John Laurence Quirk and Florence (Moser) Quirk in 1923. Kathleen retired from teaching in the Akron Public schools in 1992. She truly enjoyed working with the youth of the community. Kathleen was without peer as a coach and an athlete, fighting for a woman’s right to participate in sport long before it was a popular cause. She was recognized for her abilities by being inducted into the Ohio Amateur Softball Association, one of the first women so recognized; The Summit County Sports Hall of Fame and the Akron Touchdown Club. She was the first woman umpire in the State of Ohio for softball and was instrumental in keeping fast pitch softball a sanctioned sport in Ohio High School athletics.

She was offered a contract to play professional baseball in Chicago (“A League of Their Own”) but turned down the offer to stay home with her young child. In the 1960’s she also founded a number of programs for younger girls to play softball. The fruits of this effort can still be seen in the state championship programs in the area. In the 1990’s she founded a woman’s fast pitch league at Firestone Stadium for women who wished to play after college and high school. Many of her players went on to become championship players and coaches. She also started the woman’s basketball program at The University of Akron in the late 1960’s, while a student there. Kathleen was also an outstanding basketball player, swimmer, avid golfer, wood worker, master seamstress and crochetter, but her family always came first. She loved family and friends unconditionally and was always there with love, laughter and support.

Kathleen was preceded in death by brothers, John Quirk and Louis Quirk, and is survived by a sister, Helen Clifford. She also leaves children, Kathleen (Kathy) Zarrilli and Karin Roach. Also surviving are grandchildren, Shannon (Brian) Kelly, Ryann (Bill) Braunlich, Stephen (Kathleen) Zarrilli, Josh Zarrilli (fiancée, Lauren McKenzie), Grayson Roach and Baelee Roach; great-grandchildren, Kaleb and Julia Esber, Alex and Korrine Braunlich, Leah, Josiah and Eliza Zarrilli, Morgan and Makenzie Kelly; and very special lifelong friend, Lois Sherbondy.

Kathleen’s family would like to extend special thanks to Crossroads Hospice for their loving care, especially to her nurse, Christina Horak.

Memorial service Tuesday, 7 p.m. at Hopkins Lawver Funeral Home, 547 Canton Rd., Akron, Ohio 44312. Friends may call at the funeral home from 5 p.m. until service time Tuesday. The family suggests, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105; or the St. Joseph’s Indian School, 1301 N. Main Street, Chamberlain, SD 57325.