Anna J. Cushwa 1936-2026

Obituaries Anna J. Cushwa 1936-2026 November 10, 2026 Anna J. Cushwa Trending GRANGER, Indiana - It is with great sorrow we announce that Anna Jean Cushwa died on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, in Granger, Indiana. She was 90. Anna Jean was born on July 19, 1936, in Youngstown, to Fred G. Schuler and Alice Vitullo Schuler. From 1950 on, she worked in support of her family's business, General Extrusions Inc., ultimately serving as secretary of the Board of Directors. Anna Jean graduated from Boardman High School in Boardman, where she was editor of the school paper and member of the National Honor Society. She continued her journalism excellence with The Cornell Daily Sun, serving as one of the first female editors, and earned a BA in English from Cornell University in 1958. A proud alumna of Cornell, she cherished lifelong friendships made through the Chi Gamma sorority. Upon graduation, Anna Jean worked as a news reporter and feature writer for The Youngstown Vindicator, a five-edition daily newspaper. She established the Diocese of Youngstown Bureau of Information under Bishop James W. Malone and served as its director for three years. She served on the Diocese of Youngstown Financial Advisory Board. Anna Jean was also past chair of the Diocesan Synod and chair of lectors at Saint Columba Cathedral. After a courtship that featured regular meetings at noon Mass and evenings at the theater, Anna Jean Schuler married Bill Cushwa on Feb. 4, 1961, at St. Columba Cathedral in Youngstown. She spent a year in New York City with her young family while Bill pursued graduate studies at New York University in 1966 and 1967. Following New York City, Bill and Anna Jean made a home and lifelong impact on Youngstown from 1967 to 2002. They brought their community-minded skills and spirit to South Bend and Notre Dame, Indiana, from 2002 until her passing. In 2000, Anna Jean was bestowed with the Saint Gregory medal, a papal honor conferred upon individuals in acknowledgment of their personal dedication to the Holy See and the Catholic Church. This recognition is granted for their exceptional service, unwavering support of the Holy See, and the positive influence they exert in their communities and countries. Anna Jean was an active volunteer and leader in community and church organizations in Youngstown, Ohio, and South Bend, Indiana. She used her education, passions, and tenacity to champion civic projects, historic preservation and neighborhood advocacy on Youngstown’s North Side. An abbreviated list of the institutions and initiatives to which she dedicated her time, talent, and treasure includes the North Side Citizens Coalition (co-founder), the Joint Commission for Youngstown State University and the City of Youngstown, Hospice of Youngstown, Advisory Committee for the Mahoning County Juvenile Court, Catholic Collegiate Association (president), The Youngstown Playhouse, Blossom Music Center Women's Committee, Stambaugh Auditorium (board president), Friends of the Butler Institute of American Art (vice president), Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, City of Youngstown Board of Health (chair), District Advisory Board of KeyBank, Leadership Youngstown (founding member), South Bend Symphony Orchestra League (vice president) and the South Bend Civic Theatre Board. With Bill, Anna Jean established scholarship funds and endowments at Cornell University, the University of Notre Dame, Walsh University, Holy Cross College, Saint Mary's College, Case Western Reserve University, Indiana University South Bend, Youngstown State University, the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism at the University of Notre Dame, and the Community Foundation of Saint Joseph County (Indiana). Her greatest joys included family gatherings; traveling the world with Bill; time spent with lifelong friends, Leslie Kiske and Jane Middleton Anderson; annual visits to Cape Cod, Palm Springs, and the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario; golfing with family and friends; ND women's basketball; and attending church. Anna Jean is survived by her brother, Herbert F. (Kay) Schuler; children, Elizabeth Ann Cushwa (Dan Norris), William W. (Elizabeth) Cushwa Jr., Margaret Cushwa Haller (Herb Haller), David F. (Sandy) Cushwa, and Anne Jennifer Cushwa; eight grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Fred G. and Alice Vitullo Schuler; husband, William W. Cushwa; and her son-in-law, J. William Dunn III. A Mass of Christian Burial and Celebration of Anna Jean's life will be at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 16, 2026, at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Notre Dame, Indiana. Friends and family can call from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N Bendix Drive, South Bend, IN 46628. A link to view the Funeral Mass is available at www.kaniewski.com. The family would like to extend their deepest thanks to Michele Santiago and her wonderful care team and David Wyncott, MD, for their compassionate care and attention to Anna Jean. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Anna Jean's name may be sent to the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, 201 E. Commerce St., Suite 150, Youngstown, OH 44503; St. Columba Cathedral, 159 W Rayen Ave., Youngstown, OH 44503; or Christ Child Society of South Bend IN, 2366 Miracle Lane, Mishawaka, Indiana 46545. Online condolences can be left at www.kaniewski.com. (special notice)