Lesia Koth

Lesia Theresa Koth (Ho Tai) died peacefully after a nearly three-year battle with breast cancer November 1, 2020 in West Chester, Ohio at the age of 81.

She is survived by her beloved husband of 59 years Dick Koth. Loving mother of Rick & Rhonda Koth, Denise & Kevin Ruppelt, Doug & Annette Koth and Ben & Lesley Koth. Cherished grandmother of Erika (Lawrence) Barrett, Erin (Jim) Norton, Nick Ruppelt, Alex Koth, Kayla Koth, Renee (Brett) Sherwood, Kyle (Haley) Koth, Chris Ruppelt, Danny Koth, Sam Koth, Sean Koth and Allison Koth. Proud great-grandmother of Lydia Barrett, Keegan Koth, Linus Barrett, Ellis Barrett, Kamryn Koth, Ellie Norton and Gemma Norton. Caring sister of Suesin Ho Tai, Rosa Lym and Florene Ho Tai. Preceded in death by her parents: Ernest and Lesia Ho Tai (Lee), sister Rita Ho Tai, brothers Raphael and Ramson Ho Tai. Loved aunt by numerous nieces and nephews. Devoted friend to many.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica January 10, 1939 Lesia Koth moved to the United States to attend the Mercy Hospital School for Nursing on scholarship in 1956. While beginning her career as an operating room nurse she met Dick on a blind date. Living in the Hamilton/Fairfield, Ohio area for a number of years, they made stops and friends in Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida.

Being a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and aunt provided great joy to Lesia. Outside of her family, she took great pride in three areas: her faith, her career as a nurse and her love of America. Lesia was a devout Catholic, and her faith was a pillar of her life. Every vacation, no matter the location, included finding the local Catholic church so the family could attend Sunday Mass. She had a lifelong connection with the Sisters of Mercy that impacted her life in so many areas. She took an active role volunteering in her parishes: the church festival, Eucharistic Minister, a Lazarus Club member and a consistent attendee of Mass. Nursing provided her the opportunity to move to the States, discover lifelong friends and make an impact wherever her travels took her. Whenever Lesia and Dick moved, she eagerly investigated the local hospitals and sought out the ones with the best reputations. For many years she looked forward to attending the Association of Operating Room Nurses conventions with her friends and colleagues. Finally, Lesia had a deep love for being a US citizen, which she gained on May 29, 1969. You could count on a flag raised outside her home and an American flag decal on her car. She is one of the few who knew 2 verses of the Star-Spangled Banner (there are four stanzas in the original poem!) She loved road trips all around the United States with kids in tow and later in retirement with Dick.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, November 7th from 9:00AM-10:00AM with a prayer service at 10:00AM all at Mueller Funeral Home, 6791 Tylersville Road, Mason, Ohio 45040. Interment will be private, in Gate of Heaven Cemetery. All who attend must wear a face mask and observe social distancing.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) in Lesia’s memory.

To send a condolence or share a memory, visit MuellerfuneralS.com