Geraldine Marie Artis

Geraldine Marie Artis, age 82, of Akron, passed away on May 29th, 2020, after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease. She was born in Dillonvale, OH on May 4, 1938 to Frank and Julia Pawlak. From a young age, Geraldine was taught never to let her deafness be a weakness and she was proud to be a hardworking, independent woman, who happened to be deaf.

In 1956, she graduated from the DePaul Institute for the Deaf in Pittsburgh and quickly began working in the medical field, receiving high praise for her work as a surgical technician. In 1962, she married Carl Artis from Union Grove, AL. The newlyweds moved to Akron and had two sons. She was devoted to her family and took much pride in her role as wife and mother.

Geraldine was very active with the Akron Club of the Deaf and its ladies auxiliary, serving as chairwoman and committee member for many events in the deaf community. More recently, she enjoyed the friendship from the wonderful ladies of the Northeast Wild Purple Red Hatters. Geraldine enjoyed traveling, social events, and "Dancing with the Stars."

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Carl, nephew Kenneth Pawlak, big brother Frank Pawlak, and beloved Uncle Bruno Borkowski. She is survived by her sons Jeffrey of Clover, SC and Barry of Akron, OH; brother Paul (Mary) Pawlak of Mentor, OH; sister Teresa (Bohdan) Hamulak of Orlando, FL; sister-in-law Dorothy Summers of Orlando, FL; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends, all of whom she loved greatly.

The family wishes to thank special friend Linda Waisner for her love and care of Geraldine when needed; the staff of Kirtland Rehabilitation & Care Center, and Western Reserve Hospice.

Due to the circumstances surrounding the pandemic, all services will be private. To leave a message for Geraldine's family, please visit the guestbook below.