Antoinette "Toni" Starkey

Our beloved mother Antoinette "Toni" Starkey passed away peacefully on Wednesday August 28, 2024, at the age of 86. She was born on January 2, 1938, to parents Antone and Dorothy Starkey. She graduated from Calumet High School in 1955. She was a cheerleader and very proud of it. She worked for the Croatian Catholic Union as the National Secretary Treasurer until her retirement in 2006. After retirement, she volunteered at St. Mary’s Hospital in Hobart. She was on the Volunteer Board of Directors as Treasurer and was part of the Auxiliary. She helped with the scholarship fund and enjoyed the many friends that she had met while volunteering. She loved her monthly pinochle club and card friends which she played in since 1956. Toni was a beautiful, kind, loving and sassy independent woman. Her Catholic upbringing was important to her, and she loved her family very much. She loved her parents, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. She loved sports and was a big Chicago Cubs and Michigan Football fan. She enjoyed traveling to see her children and grandchildren and great grandchildren around the country when the opportunity arose. She was preceded in death by her daughter Toni Marie Niedojadlo Marrs, her parents Antone and Dorothy Starkey, her grandson in-law Joshua Puckett, her brother-in-law Lawrence (Larry) Gibson, and many aunts, uncles and cousins who she loved very much. Toni is survived by her children Kerry (Larry) Cates, Wendy (Joe) Drzik, Raymond (Sandra) Wardell, her siblings Jim (Betty) Starkey, Pat Starkey Gibson, Paul Starkey, Maryann Starkey and Anthony “Butch” (Debbie) Starkey. She had eight grandchildren, Jesse, (Emily) Cates, Laura, (Sean)Lynch, Ryane Puckett, Kyle Norris, Joe Drzik, Dominic Wardell, Philip Wardell, Victoria, (Montana) Pedersen. She loved her six great grandchildren Alexandria, Samuel, Phoebe, Daphne, Hazel, Julian, and Tyson. Her spirit and memory will live in our hearts forever. May she Rest in Peace. Visitation will be held at Burns Funeral Home, 10101 Broadway, Crown Point on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, from 3 to 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Helen’s Catholic Church, 302 N. Madison St. Hebron, IN. In lieu of flowers you can send donations to Dunes Hospice. www.burnsfuneral.com

Antoinette "Toni" Starkey

January 2, 1938 - August 28, 2024