Obituary of Halina STAWSKI

In Loving Memory July 28, 1918 – Warsaw, Poland July 14, 2013 – Calgary, Alberta Halina passed away on Sunday, July 14, 2013, at the age of 94 years, at Extendicare Hillcrest, two weeks shy of her 95th birthday. Her last week though, come Hell or High Water, was lived lively and strongly in the spirit of the Calgary Stampede. Halina was born in Warsaw, Poland on July 28, 1918. Her life was long, during which time she lived and enjoyed it with vigour, feistiness, and high-spiritedness with a personality that would fill a room despite her short stature. She survived the 2nd World War, a time in history that not only interrupted her plans to become an architect, left her with the loss of her family, but also began her journey of independence and strength of spirit. Following the War, Halina found herself in England. She met her future husband, Stanislaw, years after he saw her from a distance in Warsaw, in 1939. With opportunities to wed, he never forgot her, and in England, events finally brought them together for the first time. They wed in January 25, 1950, from which started Halina’s strong sense of family. In March, 1952, Halina with her husband and first daughter Kristina, having sold everything in England, embarked on a journey of discovery and a life in Canada. They arrived in Montreal, QC, where Halina’s next journey of life began. Her second daughter, Micheline, was born. Halina also began working, having worked at The Bay (Morgan’s), and then at Eaton’s, first as a sales clerk, then as secretary, and retiring as a supervisor white and brown goods service calls. Not only did she work, but she also found time to lovingly care for her family, sewing beautiful clothes for her daughters, entertaining with amazing skill, tending to meticulous gardens with her husband, and cooking wonderful meals. Her husband, Stanislaw, passed away in 1983, but Halina continued to work until she retired at the age of 72. She also was courageous enough that at this time, she received her driver’s license at age 64. In 1990, she embarked on yet another journey, to Calgary, AB, and lived there, meeting new friends, and continuing the pastime she enjoyed the most: cooking for family and friends, entertaining whenever she could. It was with difficulty that she left Montreal, as her regular visits with her daughter Kristina and her family in Ottawa were very dear to her. In turn, she travelled back to Ottawa and Montreal several times to enjoy visits and travel with family and friends. Halina was plagued with health issues, having experienced double mastectomies, a heart condition, and leukemia. Her strong spirit attests to her ability to cope with the tragedies in her life that she had experienced with the war, the loss of her husband, and her illnesses, and including dementia that had plagued her the last 2 years of her life, but with memory intact. Halina will be forever remembered as a woman who fiercely put her family first, her undying love for her family, her quick wit and sense of humour. She always found and had the time to be with, and help, friends and family without thinking of herself. She was hard-working, not only outside the home, but also for her family, staying up all night just to finish that dress for her daughters or preparing a holiday meal to entertain. She was multi-lingual, speaking Polish, French, English, German, and understanding Russian. …. And her love of animals, her dogs. She is survived, and will be sadly missed, by her daughters Micheline of Calgary, Kristina (Mike) Schulz of Ottawa; her grandsons Doug (Lisa), Cliff (Danielle), and Tyler (Shannon) all of Ottawa; her great grandchildren Michelle, Nicholas, and Evan, Jordyn and David, and Mackenzie, Nathan, and Brody; family and friends in Montreal QC, Ottawa ON, Hawkesbury ON, Peterborough ON, and Calgary AB, and her grand puppies Ila and Kumo. …the end of an era. Rest in peace, Mum xo A Celebration of Halina’s Life will be held at St. Luke’s Catholic Church (1566 Northmount Drive N.W. Calgary) on Friday, July 19, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. Condolences may be forwarded through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to The Alzheimer Society of Calgary, Suite 201, 222 – 58th Avenue S.W., Calgary, AB T2H 2S3, Telephone: (403)290-0110, www.alzheimercalgary.com or to the Canadian Cancer Society, 200 – 325 Manning Rd. N.E., Calgary, AB T2E 2P5 Telephone: (403) 205-3966, email donorservices@cancer.ab.ca. Heartfelt thanks are sent to the nursing staff of Extendicare Hillcrest, 2nd floor, who lovingly cared for her during her residence there and during her final moments, as well as to the recreation staff. In living memory of Halina Stawski, a tree will be planted at Big Hill Springs Park Cochrane by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Crowfoot Chapel, 82 CROWFOOT CIRCLE N.W. Telephone: (403) 241-0044.