Therese Amelia Luckritz (Kraciun) 79, passed away peacefully at Cadence Living in Poway, California with her family at her side.  Born in Clinton, Iowa to George and Helen Kraciun on July 26, 1942, Therese was the youngest of five siblings who were first generation of immigrant Romanian parents.  Therese, also known as "Cookie" by family and close friends, attended St. Mary's High School in Clinton where she was a member of the cheerleading squad.  Cookie had a beautiful voice and often volunteered to sing at church for funeral and weddings.  She married James Luckritz, also of Clinton, on June 9, 1962 at St. Mary's Catholic Church.  Five years later, the midwestern couple made a bold decision to move to sunny San Diego and start a family.  Jim and Cookie adopted their first daughter, Jennifer, in 1969, and their second daughter, Maureen, in 1972.  The family moved to Poway in 1976 where Therese was an active member of St. Gabriel's Catholic Church teaching religious education to elementary school kids.  While Cookie had many joys, including cooking and buying gifts for loved ones, her passion was reading and building a library of British mystery novels featuring her favorite authors, P.D. James and Anne Perry.  Married for 59 years, Therese and Jim were inseparable and built a strong foundation of love and family values that will exist beyond her passing.  Therese is survived by her husband, James; daughters Jennifer (Bennington) and Maureen (Singer); granddaughters Julianna & Ainsley (Bennington) and Mallory (Singer), as well as sons-in-law Jerry (Bennington) and Mark (Singer).  Therese's generosity and friendly nature, especially toward babies and small children will be missed by all who knew her.

A Memorial Viewing will be held at Poway-Bernardo Mortuary on November 3, 2021, at 13243 Poway Rd, Poway CA 92064 from 4-8pm.  A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Gabriel's Catholic Church on November 4, 2021, at 13734 Twin Peaks Rd, Poway CA 92064 at 10:30am.  A Celebration of Life will be held immediately following the service at the Bennington Family residence.