Tanya Lea Lukashik

Tanya Lukashik, 64, passed away on June 18, 2026, leaving behind a collection of stories, strong opinions, loyal friendships, and enough memories to fill a hundred lifetimes.

Tanya was born on June 25, 1961, to Mary Ellen and Peter Lukashik. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Notosha, and by Michael, the California Highway Patrol officer she loved deeply and spoke about often throughout her life.

To know Tanya was to know that she was never boring. She was generous, thoughtful, fiercely loyal, and entirely herself. She loved fun, loved meeting new people, and never met a stranger for long. She considered herself a California girl, and although life often had other plans, California remained the place she carried in her heart. Many of her favorite people lived there, with a select few in Ohio and Indiana fortunate enough to be included in her chosen circle.

Tanya was deeply spiritual and firmly believed she possessed psychic abilities. Whether you agreed with her or not was beside the point—she certainly did. She approached life with curiosity, intuition, and a belief that there was always more happening beneath the surface than most people could see.

She loved oysters, martinis, sushi, and ordering far more food than she could ever consume. She also had a remarkable talent for deciding she didn't actually like most of what she had ordered. She loved movies and maintained a vast DVD collection that she watched and rewatched so many times that the dialogue became as familiar as family stories.

She loved the color purple, Ralph Lauren red, Weymouth, Christmas decorations, and especially the little red truck that appeared every holiday season. She adored her pets Roxy, Cocoa, and Merlin the cat. She loved cooking, particularly Reuben sandwiches, and she faithfully baked chocolate chip cookies for those she loved. Those cookies were often a little overdone and packed with enough bread to make one wonder whether they were cookies or slightly sweet toast, but they were made with love, and that made them perfect.

Tanya never hesitated to ask for help at Home Depot, nor was she ever shy about sharing her views on customer service. She had opinions on most subjects and generally saw little reason to keep them to herself. Her favorite expressions included "YIPEE!" and "Yer trippin'," both delivered with unmistakable Tanya conviction.

Like many people, Tanya faced difficult chapters in her life, particularly in recent years. She could be challenging, stubborn, and frustrating. She could also be extraordinarily loving. Once Tanya claimed you as a friend, family member, or one of "her people," she never let you forget it. She loved loudly and persistently. You might not always know what she was going to say next, but you never had to wonder whether she cared.

She leaves behind countless friends across the country, including dear friends Stacey "Sting" Spencer, Jenny Van der Meulen, and Carrie Cooper-Locatelli, as well as her sister Tasmine Lukashik Calkins and Tasmine's family in Indiana. Though life left some relationships unresolved, those who knew Tanya best believe that love remained beneath the distance.

She also leaves behind the Testa family. In particular, she leaves Georgann Testa, who cared for her devotedly during her final months, and Aaron Testa, whom Tanya loved fiercely and championed endlessly. Tanya gave Aaron a gift he will carry for the rest of his life: the feeling of being seen, valued, and believed in. She was one of his biggest fans, though there may be ongoing debate about that title between Tanya and Georgann.

Tanya's life was not simple, tidy, or easily summarized. It was colorful, complicated, heartfelt, and entirely her own. She leaves behind laughter, stories, strong opinions, holiday decorations, beloved pets, favorite movies, countless memories, and a lasting reminder that love does not always arrive in perfect packages.

For those who knew her best, it is easy to imagine her now reunited with Michael, surrounded by purple, Christmas lights, good food she actually likes, and all the people and animals she missed most.

YIPEE, Tanya. We love you.