Obituaries
Shirlee "Chi Chi" Kuvinka
Date of Death: March 31, 2017
Viewing: Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Rhome Funeral Home Inc. 1209 Grand Blvd. Monessen, where friends will be welcomed from 3 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 5.
Services: A blessing service will be held in the funeral home 9:30 a.m. Thursday followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at the Epiphany of Our Lord Church of Monessen with Father Michael Crookston officiating.
Interment will follow at the Grandview Cemetery, Monessen.
Obituary:
Shirlee “Chi Chi” Kuvinka, 78, of Monessen, passed away on Friday, March 31, 2017. She was born Feb. 9, 1939 in Monessen, a daughter of the late Leo and Veronica Lucas Altemare. She worked as a Senior Center Specialist for Diversified Human Services for the past 30 years. She was also the former owner of Como’s Bar/Grill and was well known for her Pizza. She was a member of the Epiphany of Our Lord Church of Monessen and the former Monessen Jr. Womans Club. Also, a onetime candidate for city council as her slogan was “Wake up early and vote for Shirlee”. Chi Chi loved cooking and had a passion for just helping her family, friends and anyone in need. Also, she enjoyed going to casinos in her spare time. Surviving are her sons, Lenny Kuvinka and fiancee’, Teresa Panayiotou, and Drew and wife, Jodi, Kuvinka; daughter, Karmel and husband, Richie Speeney; grandchildren, Ava, Zachary, D.J., Morgan, and Robby; great-grandchild, Charlie Ann; a brother, Robert Altemare; several nieces and nephews, and her caregivers, Rob and Teresa Zynosky. She was preceded in death by siblings, Dolores Buchak, Ken Altemare, Cliff Altemare, and her partner, Matthew Kerr. The Kuvinka Family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Rob and Teresa Zynosky for their kind and compassionate care for Chi Chi.
