Kelly Drahozal

Kelly Drahozal

Cedar Rapids

Kelly Drahozal, 55, of Cedar Rapids, passed away peacefully Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, at St. Luke’s Hospice surrounded by family. Visitation is from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, at Cedar Memorial Funeral Home, with a rosary service beginning at 7 p.m. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26, at St. Matthews Catholic Church.

Survivors include Kelly’s husband, Joe Drahozal;

four children, John Drahozal, Erin (Tyler) Giovinco, Nick Drahozal and Joey Drahozal; and brother, Tim Sullivan.

Kelly was preceded in death by her parents, Richard “Sully” Sullivan and Marisa Sullivan.

Kelly (Sullivan) Drahozal was born Aug. 13, 1967, in Waterloo, Iowa, to Richard and Marisa Sullivan. Kelly grew up an athlete and played multiple sports, including softball, basketball and golfing with her family. It was at a very young age that she developed a fun-loving and carefree attitude towards life, something that she carried with her through the end.

Kelly was a selfless mother to her four children and wonderful wife to her husband. She enjoyed doing just about anything with her family, in particular playing card games, and beating Joe (or anyone else) who dared challenge her in a game of “Sorry!” Kelly loved catching up with friends, vacationing at the lake in Minnesota, and traveling the Midwest trying to catch a concert with just about any 80s rock band within a 300 mile radius. Kelly had the deepest love for 80s music – her favorite ones being KISS, Metallica, Queen, and Poison. Her children take pride in the fact that at a very young age, the first song they ever could recite by heart was Metallica’s “Whiskey in the Jar.”

Throughout her near nine year battle with cancer, Kelly never lost that carefree attitude she always had. She had a beautiful positive tendency to always look on the bright side, no matter how hard her current situation may be. She was always so full of life, love, happiness, laughter and a little spice of sarcasm. She strived to have as much fun and joy in any and every situation as possible, and always found a way to transfer that positive energy onto everyone around her. Her last three weeks were spent with her husband and all children being home, creating some of the best memories that the family will continue to hold very dear to their hearts.

The Drahozal family would like to thank all the nurses and doctors at the University of Iowa Hospital Holden Cancer Center, Palliative Care Unit at the University of Iowa, and the nurses and doctors at UnityPoint Health-Hospice at St. Luke’s Hospital. All these individuals have shown empathy, compassion, care, laughter and have shown the highest level of professionalism that made the last nine years go as smoothly as possible.

Memorials and gifts may be directed to the family.

Online condolences and messages may be shared with the family at cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.