Ada Ester Kozlowski

Ada E. Kozlowski, loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, passed away peacefully on May 22, 2022. Affectionately known to her family as “Nana,” she is survived by her daughter Kathryn M. Burch and husband Edward; six grandchildren: Dari DeSousa, Katherine Schafer and husband Brad, Stephen Kozlowski Jr. and wife Trish, Stephanie Burch-Lange and husband Kevin, Michael Burch and wife Shari, and Valerie Kozlowski; six great-grandchildren: Dalton DeSousa, Tanner Schafer, Skylar Schafer, Truet Kozlowski, Scarlett Lange, and Stirling Burch; and one great-great-grandson, Kaeden Schafer. She was loved by many nieces and nephews and will be missed by all. She is preceded in death by her parents, five brothers, four sisters, and her son, Martin Stephen Kozlowski. Don’t be too sad for Ada; she’s enjoying the heavenly reunion we are all looking forward to!

Ada was born in Albuquerque, NM, to Mary and Robert Cruz. She enjoyed being part of a large family and loved her siblings dearly. Ada was married for many years to Martin Kozlowski and had two beautiful children, Martin Stephen and Kathryn Marie. She was very proud of her children, their many accomplishments and their families, and the love they brought to her life.

For 29 years, Ada enjoyed working at Sandia Laboratories and was very proud to serve in a role that made people smile when they saw her . . . payroll. She was great at keeping secrets and only alluded occasionally to “knowing things” by acting shocked when you mentioned hidden bunkers, secret areas, or topics of those sorts. It was her honor to have been part of Sandia during a time when our country needed hardworking, trustworthy women to help things run smoothly. If only they hadn’t made her work between Christmas and New Year’s, she might have stayed there longer! After retirement, she went into parttime office work at Gold Cup Gymnastics for 11 years and later volunteered for the Performing Arts at Popejoy, Albuquerque Little Theatre, and Musical Theatre Southwest. She was also a member of the Hispanic Women’s Council and joined a club known as “Girls Night Out.” She enjoyed traveling, visiting family and friends, and gathering for the holidays, where she would sit on her red stool and watch her family enjoy her wonderful cooking, especially her posole, red chile, biscochitos, and natillas.

Memorial and prayer services will be held Saturday, July 2, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. in the Chapel at French – Wyoming, 7121 Wyoming Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109. Interment will follow at the Chester T. French Memorial Mausoleum at Sunset Memorial Park. Pallbearers are Edward Burch, Dari DeSousa, Kevin Lange, Michael Burch, and Tanner Schafer.