Emily C

Colgan

Colgan
Emily C.

Emily Catherine (Applewhite) Colgan, age 89, passed away peacefully Tuesday, Feb. 28. A warm, loving, hospitable, outgoing woman, Emily devoted her life to serving her family and God.
Born June 17, 1927 in Wallace, NC, to James Aubrey and Flora (Boney) Applewhite, Emily was the youngest of six children. A graduate of Fayetteville (NC) High School, Emily worked at Fort Bragg during World War II, and it was there that she met Robert W. Colgan of Toledo, a young soldier, at a USO dance. After Bob returned from serving in the Pacific, they married March 24, 1946 in Hay Street Methodist Church in Fayetteville, then moved to Toledo, where they celebrated 69 years of marriage before his death in August 2015.
Bob and Emily shared a love of dancing, boating, playing golf and tennis, reading, entertaining, traveling and spending time with their extended family and friends. As both were ardent fans of the UT Rockets, it's fitting that her final outing was to last Saturday's UT Women's Basketball game.
While Bob was finishing his electrical engineering degree at Toledo University and beginning his lifelong career in the electrical industry, Emily assumed the supporting role of wife and mom that she cherished. Because service was her spiritual gift, she became involved in many charitable and community groups and clubs over the years, including scouting, Sylvania Country Club, and Flower Hospital Auxiliary. Her devotion to God and family determined that her first priorities would be her children and grandchildren and Epworth United Methodist Church. At Epworth, she became deeply involved in Epworth United Methodist Women, serving as president and as a member of the Priscilla Circle, and participating in the Walk to Emmaus. She sang alto in the church choir for many years and moved on to the chorus at Sylvania Senior Center, where she loved performing at nursing homes and participating in the annual Senior Follies.
A lifelong lover of music and musicals, Emily often sang "I love you a bushel and a peck" to her family, especially her grandchildren. She sealed her many cards and letters with "sloppy kisses." She always enjoyed watching her children and grandchildren perform and would travel many miles to take in a soccer game, concert or musical.
Although Emily and Bob traveled the United States and the world, mostly as part of his work with the National Electrical Contractors Association, she loved the places they called home the best, including their five-acre place on Corey Road; their cottage in Burgundy Bay on Middle Bass Island; her Applewhite family home in Wrightsville Beach, NC; their boat, the Bobbinem; the condominium in Corey Cove; and even her last home, The Waterford at Levis Commons in Perrysburg.
Wherever Emily was planted, she welcomed new people into her life with her friendly ways, infectious smile and unforgettable laugh. Truly she was a role model and a mother and grandmother to many. She loved animals great and small, which allowed her children to collect quite a menagerie of dogs, cats and horses when they lived on Corey Road. Even though she never returned to live in her beloved North Carolina, this true "Steel Magnolia" retained some of her Southern accent and all of her charm.
Emily is survived and lovingly remembered by sister Maryesta Steckman; sons Rob (Kathy) of Perrysburg and Rand "Harmony Aquarian" of Port Motueka, New Zealand, daughters Cynthia (Ron) Cox of Gainesville, GA and Amy (Brian) Eytchison of Nashville, TN, and unofficially adopted son, Randy Boudouris; grandchildren Rob Colgan III, Callie (Andy) Schwartz, Karen (Lane) Owen, Jamie (Jennifer) Graff, Carey (Tim) LaFeve, Emily Eytchison, Patrick Eytchison, Lucas Eytchison, Aubrey Eytchison, Happy Melody Aquarian, Aimee (Shannon) Castleman and Brian (Rachel) Cox; eight nieces and nephews, Terri (Gary) Barricklow, Judy (Damon-deceased) Casey, Jim Steckman, Beth (Paul) Bartlett, Jennifer (Graham) Pelletier, David Smilay, Janice (Hal) Paden, Walter (Leslie) Applewhite; and seventeen great-grandchildren.
Visitation is 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Foth-Dorfmeyer Mortuary, 3815 Sylvania Avenue, Toledo. The funeral or as she would have it, "celebration of her life," will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 4 at Foth-Dorfmeyer Mortuary. Burial will follow at Ottawa Hills Memorial Park, Toledo.
Memorial contributions may be made to Epworth United Methodist Church, 4855 W. Central Avenue, Toledo, OH 43615, the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance (ocrfa.org), or the University of Toledo Foundation.
Emily's life's mission can be best summarized by one of the many verses we found highlighted in her Bible, 1 John 3:18: "Little children, let us stop just saying we love people; let us really love them, and show it by our actions." Because we love you "a bushel and a peck," we'll miss you deeply every day, but we know you are worshipping God and singing in heaven now. We're thankful for your unconditional love for us and for your wonderful life. Love you more