Tjitska Theadora “Thea” Kranzo

Growing up in the Netherlands, Thea frequently recounted her habitual bicycle rides to work and to school while cherishing the seasons when the weather would allow her to ice skate on the canals to neighboring towns. Her energetic movement nurtured in her young years, paralleled with her holistically spiritual grounding, captivated the essence of her very being throughout her lifetime.

The most vibrant, social soul to everyone she encountered, Thea had the innate courage to come to the United States speaking barely any English. Profoundly, her life in America began with the genuine embrace of Wegmans. Her native Dutch and German tongues were wholly respected until Thea eagerly learned English through coworkers and shoppers alike.

Accomplishing American citizenship and learning to drive stateside was a marvelous feat. Three families shaped Thea’s story: her heritage in the Netherlands, her treasured immediate family, and her Wegmans family, to whom she grew with for 25 years.

To be a gateway to joy was Thea’s subconscious aura. She touched thousands of people’s lives; pointedly, Thea created her own ‘care cards’ at home to place in shoppers’ grocery bags to brighten their days at work. Notes like, “Have a nice day” or whimsical messages to home shoppers had no intentions other than to lighten another’s load. Thea was chronically donating her own children’s clothes to other employees who she knew needed that bit of help.

There was not a heart Thea didn’t love. As a gregarious communicator, she went the extra mile without a care for one’s preconceived role, image, or belief. There were no barriers in Thea’s mind.

Outside of her dedication to work, Thea enjoyed backpacking in the Adirondacks, running 5ks, floating in the pool, and spending time with family at home. She read and re-read the Michael and Kathleen Greer series in Dutch to no end, only to be more committed to her impressive Hay Day mobile gaming. In honest Thea fashion, she achieved elite records and shared her winnings with others. International friendships were born out of her gaming connections.

Thea’s kindness toward others permeated into the earth. She had an affinity for gardening and took pleasure in hours of weeding.

Thea’s radiant air of bequeathing energy will be deeply missed by her adored husband, John, whom she married December 24, 1997; her children, Tjitze, Katja, and Lotte; her siblings, Gea (Lammert) and Demelza (Robert); her nieces and nephews, Lana, Davey, Mason, and Makenna; her sister-in-law, Tammy; and her prized dogs, Luna and Doris, and cats, Noodles and Ajax.

Besides her father, Tjitze Siekmans, Thea was preceded in death by her aunt, Tante Ali.

It deserves mention that Thea was a spiritual person, as she believed in the grandeur of the person in the mirror. Thea stayed spiritually true to the Netherlands way – ‘Hoop Geloof en Liefde’ – Hope, Belief, & Love. Continue to spread Thea’s light with this truth.

The family will receive friends for a time of visitation from 3-6 pm Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at Lind Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to your favorite charity in support of animals, an organization that assists in preserving local trails, or to Roswell Park Cancer Center.

To leave words of condolence, please visit lindfuneralhome.com.