Guyla M. Kryka

Guyla M. Kryka passed away peacefully in her home on April 24, 2016, at the age of 61. Guyla was born in Chanute, Kansas, on April 26, 1954. She is survived by her loving husband, Anton Kryka, four of her beloved children: Anton, Richard, Jason, and Kyle, her dear mother, Bernice (nee Baker) Lindsey, and her brother, Kenny Lindsey. Guyla was preceded in death by her twin baby boys, John and James, and also by her father Kenneth Lindsey. "Good morning, Mrs. Kryka." The students greeted the CHEERS coordinator with a smile. The CHEERS person was Guyla Kryka. Many happy (CHEERful) days were spent with the students and teachers at Salem Elementary School.But Guyla wasn't always a CHEERS coordinator. Her life began in a small town in eastern Kansas called Chanute. She was the second child of H. Bernice and Kenneth E. Lindsey. She began playing the piano at age seven. Her older brother was Kenny, who was born with Down Syndrome.In 1966, her father lost his job with Standard Oil in Kansas. He found another job with Standard Oil in Illinois. The family moved to Carol Stream. There Guyla attended Glenbard North High School. She played coronet in the school band. She later attended Elmhurst College and graduated with a BA in History.
Her first job after graduation was with Christian Service Brigade in the computer department. Her next job was with Catallactics Corporation. They sent her to New York City. She spent a year setting up computer services for the company's large bank clients. Upon returning to Illinois, she took a job with ATT Bell Laboratories in Naperville. At ATT, she helped create databases for ESS5 telephone switching system.While working at ATT, a co-worker and friend, James Dunn, introduced her to a Wisconsin college friend, Tony Kryka. This bit of matchmaking resulted in Guyla and Tony being married on July 20, 1985.The couple moved to Salem in 1986. In 1988, their son, Anton Jr., was born. Then, in 1989, three more boys filled their home: Rick, Kyle, and Jason.Guyla's volunteer work began with the enrollment of the boys in the South Lyon Co-op Preschool in 1992. Guyla set up schedules for parents to assist the teacher until 1994.As the boys moved on to Salem Elementary School, Guyla volunteered to be the CHEERS coordinator there in 1996. CHEERS stands for Citizens Helping Educators Encourage Responsible Students. She organized other parent volunteers. These volunteers assisted teachers by making copies of educational material, arranging holiday classroom parties, and "Fun Nights." Guyla also helped teach the computer keyboarding classes.After CHEERS at Salem Elementary, Guyla became the head CHEERS coordinator for the school district. She assisted Mrs. Quigley, principle of Salem Elementary and district CHEERS administrator.When her son, Anton, joined the marching band at South Lyon High School in 2002, Guyla and Tony volunteered to help. They assisted Pat and Sheila Timmins with the construction and painting of props for the marching band. The largest set of props was for "The Pines of Rome" performances.When her son, Rick, joined the drama group, Guyla volunteered to work on costumes. There were many hours of fun creating costumes. She also learned a lot about costume altering techniques from other sewers. Tony helped with the construction of the stage props.Guyla also altered uniforms for the choir group at South Lyon High School. Guyla was head costumer in 2009 for the musical "Annie." Along with sewing, Guyla's other hobbies are bowling, stamp collecting, and various kinds of needle work. But the best part of all was the smiling faces of the children. "Good morning, Mrs. Kryka" and "Thank you, Mrs. Kryka."Visitation for Guyla will be Thursday, April 28, from 2-8pm at the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home, 280 S. Main Street, Plymouth, 48170. A Funeral Service will be the following day, Friday, April 29, at 11am. Family and friends may begin visiting at 10am. We will drive in procession to Lapham Cemetery where she will be buried. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Guyla's memory to a church of your choice.