Jody L. Kotowski, a postal service employee for 23 years, was a devoted wife and a champion for her special-needs daughter.
"She wanted to make sure that Francesca had as many fun, positive experiences in her life as possible," said Kotowski's brother, Richard Tomaszewski. "She was always so concerned about Francesca, and her whole life was spent worrying about her, at first.
Kotowski became involved with a group that engaged young people such as Francesca with activities, Fantastic Friends of Western New York, which set up a GoFundMe appeal. And she became active with her union, the National Association of Letter Carriers.
Both organizations expressed condolences for Kotowski after her death Dec. 20 from Covid-19 complications. She was 56.
She left behind her daughter, now 21; her husband of 22 years, Frank; her brother; and a sister, Dawn E. Both. Kotowski's mother, for whom she had been a caretaker, died in her own home while under hospice care on Dec. 9, Richard Tomaszewski said.
Kotowski, who lived in Depew, had gone into Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital with coronavirus symptoms on Dec. 18 and died in the early morning hours of Dec. 20, Tomaszewski said.
She was a "warrior mom," who provided the best life possible for Francesca, Fantastic Friends said on social media. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Francesca and her father, Frank."
Like most moms, Kotowski was her child's biggest booster. Her Facebook page features a clip of Francesca competing in a Special Olympics race. In posting a picture of her daughter taken by a professional photographer, mom wrote that "she did excellent work, but I have to say my model is beautiful!''
The National Association of Letter Carriers union said Kotowski was the first member to die of the virus in Branch 3, which represents some 2,000 members in Western New York.
"Jody was a good friend to all letter carriers she met, she was an active carrier in Niagara Square in the Buffalo Branch 3 area, she was a past editor of their local publication," the union said on Facebook as it urged members to wear a mask, wash their hands and socially distance.
Had she survived, Kotowski likely would have looked for some way to provide support and compassion for others hospitalized with the coronavirus, her brother said. Like other families who have lost loved ones during the pandemic, Kotowski's kin have not yet gathered to mourn her death, he said. Out of concern for Covid-19, he has not yet gone to express his condolences to Frank Kotowski.
"It's such an odd time," Tomaszewski said. "You can't even grieve properly. It's a terrible thing for a family to go through."
