MARUŠKA "MUŠI" HELENA COFFELT

MARUŠKA "MUŠI" HELENA COFFELT (née Pogačnik), age 66, beloved wife of R. Frank Coffelt for 44 years; loving mother of Matthew (Nadine, née Lavrisha), Andrew, and Luke Coffelt; caring grandmother of Maja, Andrew, and Matthew Coffelt; cherished daughter of Maruša (née Hren) and the late Branko Pogačnik; dearest sister of Tatjana (Jim) McKinley and Matthew Pogačnik.

She is survived by her aunt, Majda (the late Rudi) Lekšan, and her uncle, John (JoAnn) Pogačnik.

She was preceded in death by her grandfather Ignacij "Oči" Hren, aunts Alenka Hren, Barbara (Milan) Pavlovčič, Meta (Giovanni) Cocomero, and Minka Benke, and her uncle, William Pogačnik.

She was a devoted aunt, cousin, friend, and like a second mother to many.

Born on February 19, 1960 in Cleveland, Maruška, affectionately known as "Muši," was the oldest sibling and cousin growing up in the St. Vitus neighborhood on Bonna Ave. Muši and Frank married at St. Vitus on May 29th, 1982. After living in Milwaukee for the first few years of marriage and welcoming their first of three children, they moved back to the greater-Cleveland area. Muši's family-life blossomed in Euclid with the arrival of two more children, while her close bonds with her parents, siblings, and the Hren, Lekšan, Pavlovčič, McKinley and Roesmann families remained central to her life. Muši and Frank built a new home in Kirtland where they resided since 1998.

Muši was a nurse, artist, musician and singer who used these talents through her life's work and community involvement. She worked for many years as an LPN at Mt. St. Joseph and Grand Pointe nursing homes. She took great pleasure in cooking and entertaining, warmly welcoming family, friends, visiting musical groups, and diplomats from Slovenia into her home. Her exceptional command of the Slovenian language, including its dialects, was indistinguishable from that of a native speaker and became one of the many ways she shared and preserved her Slovenian heritage. As a lifelong St. Vitus parishioner, she was a teacher at Slovenska Šola for nearly three decades, singer in the St. Vitus Christmas Choir and Lira church choir, and was a member of the Altar Society. Muši was a lifelong member of KSKJ and also Slovenska Pristava, where a highlight was serving as the official public greeter to Cardinal Rode. Muši's gift of the Slovenian language, coupled with her warm and comforting presence, made her a cherished and natural public reader and narrator. This was most notable in her involvement with the local Slovenian radio program "Songs and Melodies from Beautiful Slovenia" for nearly 4 decades. She was proud to be a longtime singer in Korotan, which had the honor of singing in the presence of Pope John Paul II. She was also a dancer in Kres and actress in the Lilija play group. In her later years, Muši continued to give of herself through volunteer work at St. Joseph House.

Muši tended to her love of nature through gardening, enjoyed traveling with her family, and played an excellent classical piano. She battled several health issues later in life that kept her from some of these favorite hobbies, but always had her friends and family come first. May she rest in the peace of Jesus Christ and may her memory remain a blessing to all who loved her.

Contributions may be made in memory of Maruška to St. Vitus Catholic Church or Catholic Mission Aid (MZA) or Daughters of Divine Charity.

Mass of Christian Burial Saturday, September 12, 2026, at St. Vitus Church, 6019 Lausche Ave, Cleveland, OH 44103, at 10 AM.

Burial following at All Souls Cemetery.

Family will receive friends to pay tribute to and celebrate the life of Maruška at DeJOHN-FLYNN-MYLOTT FUNERAL HOME OF WILLOUGHBY HILLS, 28890 CHARDON ROAD (between Bishop Rd. and Rt. 91) FRIDAY, September 11, 2026, from 4-8 PM.