Theresa Celia Szymaszek

Theresa Celia Szymaszek was born in Buffalo, New York on November 6, 1932, and she spent the first 80 years of her life there. She graduated from Villa Maria Academy High School in 1951, and, after a short stint working at Bell Aircraft, she worked as an administrative assistant at Buffalo General Hospital for over thirty years.

Theresa never married. She devoted her life to her close relatives. She was warm, slyly funny, and kind. To her niece and nephews, she was always Auntie Theresa, and she doted on them all. She was devoted to her church. She was a Lay Dominican, also known as Third Order Dominican, and, as such, she ordered and directed her life around prayer, study, community, and preaching.

Theresa retired in 1997 and moved to southern New Mexico in 2012 both for the warmer weather and to stay near family. She passed away in her sleep on January 30, 2026 at age 93.

Theresa was preceded in death by her father John Szymaszek (1972), mother Victoria Nowacyk Szymaszek (1992), sister Lorraine Szymaszek Gulino (2022), and brother-in-law Loretto Gulino (2022). She is survived by her niece Barbara Van Arsdale, nephews Daniel Gulino (Mary Ann), Paul Gulino (Julye Bidmead), and Richard Gulino, five grand-nieces, one grand-nephew, four great grand-nephews, and one great grand-niece.

Visitation will be held on Friday, February 13, 2026 from 8:30 am to 9:30 am at Getz Funeral Home, 1410 E. Bowman Ave., Las Cruces, N.M., followed by a Rosary Service at 10:00 am at St. Genevieve Catholic Church, 100 S. Espina St., Las Cruces, N.M.  Funeral services will be held at St. Genevieve Catholic Church on Friday, February 13, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. with interment at Saint Joseph Cemetery immediately following.