Bernice Cepak Soukup

Bernice Catherine Cepak Soukup, 92, passed away peacefully on July 2, 2024 at Royal Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Waco.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Monday, July 8, 2024 at St. Mary's Catholic Church of the Assumption in West, with Rev. Ed Karasek as celebrant. Burial will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery.

Bernice was born on April 4, 1932 in Leroy, Texas to Louis E. and Mary (Olsovsky) Uptmore. Bernice grew up picking cotton on the family farm until age 13 when her father passed away. Without her father, the farm could not sustain the family, so her mother and siblings started picking cotton on other’s farms in order to make a living. Bernice was hardworking, tough and resilient with a little bit of sass thrown in.

She attended St. Martin Parochial School and graduated from West High School in 1949. Bernice married Ferdinand “Fred” Cepak August 6th,1949. Together they raised six rambunctious children. Once all her children were in school, Bernice would continue her education graduating with a nursing degree from Grant Buie Hospital in Hillsboro, TX in February of 1968. She spent 17 years caring for new mothers at Hillcrest Hospital and the remainder of her 34 year nursing career at Midway Clinic. Bernice became a widow at age 56. She would later meet and marry Johnnie Soukup on June 23, 2001. She felt very fortunate to have loved and been loved by two wonderful men.

Bernice was an avid reader. She greatly enjoyed tending to her roses and flower garden, having friends over to play cards, traveling and celebrating “Thanksmas” with the children and grandchildren. Her other hobbies included sewing, needlework, quilting and creating floral arrangements.

Bernice was preceded in death by her parents, Louis and Mary; her husbands, Fred and Johnnie; son, Philip; great grandson Simon Mills; and siblings, Lillian, Clement “Shorty”, Dorothy Shilling, Louis, Andrew and Catherine Lednicky.

Bernice is survived by her sister Margie Lesinski and husband John; children, Phyllis, Timothy, Pamela Khoury, Mark, Penny Spellman and Patricia Ford; her daughters-in-law, Sandy and Tori; sons-in-law, John and Brian; her step children, Valencia and husband James Mahovsky, Bernadine Giglione, Ernest “Ernie” and wife Tammy Soukup; eleven grandchildren; two great grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Active pallbearers are Brian Ford, Josh Ford, Collin Mills, John Spellman, Joseph Spellman, and Maddie Spellman. Honorary pallbearers are Clayton Cepak, Kevin Khoury and Patrick Mills.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Mary's Cemetery Association.