Dominique Anne Koukol

Dominique Anne (Gidlow) Koukol 

August 5, 1966 – September 23, 2026 

Tipp City, Ohio

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Those are the words we believe Dominique heard when she stepped from this life into the presence of Jesus.

For Dominique, those words were not simply a fitting ending. They describe the way she lived.

If Dominique could choose the two words by which she would be remembered, they would be Faithful and Family. Those two words capture so much of who she was and what mattered most to her.

She was faithful to Jesus. Faithful to her family. Faithful to her friends, her work, her church, and the people she believed God had placed in her life. And she was faithful in the little things: in showing up, following through, praying, serving, cooking a meal, making a phone call, tending a garden, or simply making sure someone knew they were loved.

Family was at the center of Dominique’s life.

She was passionate about building a Christ-centered home where her children would grow not simply to know about Jesus, but to know Him for themselves. She wanted them to develop their own genuine relationships with Christ rather than simply inherit their parents’ faith. She invested years of prayer, conversation, example, encouragement, and love into that purpose.

And she lived to see that prayer answered.

Dominique was immensely proud of all three of her children and of the people they became. She wanted them to be part of a generation of loving believers whose faith would extend well beyond themselves and into the lives of others. Her influence will continue through them and through the generations that follow.

Her faith was never merely something she talked about. She lived it through service.

Dominique was active in ministry at Christian Life Center and Living Word Church, giving countless hours to children’s and youth programs, community outreach, foreign missions, intercessory prayer, and human resources ministry. She had a particular gift for recognizing what needed to be done and then finding a way to do it.

That same compassion and determination shaped her professional life.

A 1988 graduate of Wright State University with a degree in Social Work, Dominique began her career serving people with developmental disabilities, ultimately becoming a manager and director for a local MRDD organization. She later moved into healthcare and human resources, where she worked for more than 20 years with Good Samaritan Hospital and Premier Health Partners, with additional service at Elizabeth’s New Life Center and Alternate Solutions Home Care. Along the way, she earned a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Phoenix.

But a résumé only tells part of Dominique’s story.

She loved people, and she often expressed that love by serving them.

She loved to cook and to have people gathered around the table. She found genuine joy in feeding her family and others. She was an avid gardener, loved birds and animals, and enjoyed traveling to see the beauty of God’s creation. She could happily spend an afternoon tending her garden, watching wildlife, or planning the next place she wanted to see.

She was also a passionate UD Flyers basketball fan and Ohio State football fan; two loyalties that provided plenty of opportunities for celebration, frustration, and spirited conversation.

And then there was Buddy, her devoted shepherd-bulldog mix, who was never far from her.

Those who knew Dominique well would probably add other words to the two she chose for herself: Christ follower. Friend. Relentless. Devoted. Selfless. Loving.

Relentless may be one of the most fitting.

When Dominique loved someone, she did not love from a distance. When someone needed her, she showed up. When something mattered to her family, she fought for it. When she believed there was something that could be done, “nothing can be done” was rarely an acceptable answer.

She gave herself fully to the people she loved.

Dominique is survived by her husband, David (Dave) A. Koukol, Jr.; her children, Aubrey J. Adams of Piqua and Camden M. Koukol of Tipp City; and her stepson, Daniel A. Koukol (Kelsey). She is also survived by her grandchildren, August Koukol, Owen Koukol, and Crew Koukol of Rocky Face, Georgia.

She is survived by her mother, Jocelyne Smith of Venice, Florida, and her father, Charles Gidlow of Sarasota, Florida; her sisters, Nathalie Upton (Richard) and Liette Gidlow-Sakel (Adam); and her nephews, Alexander Upton, Max Gidlow-Sakel, and Sam Gidlow-Sakel.

And, of course, Buddy.

Dominique will be deeply missed by the people who love her. Her absence will be felt in the places where she was present every day: in her home, around the dinner table, in the garden, at family gatherings, during a Flyers game or an Ohio State game, and in the countless ordinary moments that will no longer include her.

But her life does not end with what we have lost.

She leaves behind a family shaped by her faith and her love, and a family whose trajectory was changed because of the life she chose to build. She leaves children and grandchildren who will carry pieces of her into the generations ahead. She leaves friends, colleagues, church family, and countless others who were changed by her willingness to serve. And she leaves a legacy whose full impact may not be known for generations.

Scripture tells us that those who belong to Christ will one day lay their crowns before Him. We can imagine Dominique doing exactly that. Not because she lived for recognition. She didn't. She lived knowing where her strength came from and where the glory belonged. She gave herself to her family. She gave herself to others. And she gave her life to Jesus.

So while we grieve the woman we love and will miss more than words can express, we also know where Dominique is and where she would want the attention to be.

At the feet of Jesus.

And we believe that when her earthly work was finished, she heard the words:

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Faithful. Family.

Those are the words Dominique chose.

They are the words she lived.

And they are the legacy she leaves with us.