Lucja "Lucy" Dyjach

September 20, 1931 – August 13, 2026

With profound sadness, we announce the passing of our sweet, beautiful Mother and Babcia, Lucja (Lucy) Dyjach.

Lucy was born in a small village in the Białystok region of Poland, to Stanisław and Józefa Kondrat. She was raised in a close family of seven children—two brothers and five sisters—where her parents instilled the lasting values of family, faith, and hard work. Growing up, the children worked the land together, looked after one another, foraged in the forests, and swam in the river, surrounded by the beautiful landscape of their homeland.

The war years were difficult, filled with fear and hunger. Lucy often spoke of hiding from the Nazis with her sisters as a little girl, when soldiers marched through the area with their weapons and search dogs. Thankfully, the entire family survived. The war interrupted Lucy’s schooling, and her greatest regret was never being able to continue her education because of postwar poverty and disruption. Books became her passion. She grew into a voracious reader and treasured the hundreds of volumes she collected throughout her life.

Always adventurous, Lucy left home as a young woman and travelled to the newly acquired territories in western Poland to live with her aunt. In Morąg, she met Stanisław, married him, and gradually built a warm home for their three children. Despite the shortages and deprivations of life under communist rule, she perfected her domestic skills, and their house was constantly filled with friends and visiting family.

When the opportunity to immigrate to Canada arose, Lucy’s adventurous spirit once again carried her forward. With courage and resolve, she packed up the life she had built in Morąg and, with her three children, boarded a plane to join her husband in Hamilton, who had arrived a year earlier. Immigrant life in the 1960’s was hard, without the supports that exist today. Like many new arrivals to Hamilton, Lucy worked long shifts in a factory, while rebuilding her family’s life. She ultimately retired from Porritts & Spencer after many years of service. She was proud to own a home, provide for her children, and enjoy a comfortable pension that allowed her to travel and buy all the books she wanted.

Lucy always found strength and belonging in the Polish community, St. Stanislaus Church, and the organizations she joined—Związkowiec, Koło Polek, and Różaniec. These friendships and shared memories greatly enriched her life. She was known for her generosity, her gentle nature, her Polish pączki and took joy in mentoring the next generation during church fundraising. Her energy was remarkable.

Her retirement years were filled with travel, volunteering, time with her beloved grandchildren, and enjoying the company of friends in her garden. She opened her doors to anyone without family during the holidays, donated generously to those in need, and enjoyed meeting friends at Eastgate Square. Lucy sewed the best Halloween costumes for her grandchildren, grew wonderful vegetables and flowers in her garden, was kind to stray kittens that appeared on her doorstep, and nurtured the doves that nested in her planters. She loved sitting on her porch watching the world go by. Like many of her generation, she was a devoted recycler—nothing ever went to waste. She found new purposes for old things and reimagined uses for everything.

In her final years, Lucy lived with Alzheimer’s disease. She remained in her home as long as possible, before moving to Extendicare, where she remained strong and independent, while her sweet personality continued to shine through. We are deeply grateful to the extraordinary team in the Aberdeen unit at Extendicare for their remarkable kindness and compassion.

Loved deeply by her family - Mike, Terie (Dirk), Ted (Katherine) and grandchildren Amanda (Gabriel), Hannah (Will), Adam (Anna), Thomas, Allison (Matt), and great-granddaughter Phoebe, she will be missed forever.

“We will grow in the light of her memory.”

Visitation will be held at Markey Dermody Funeral Home, 1774 King Street E., Hamilton, on Thursday, August 20, 2026 from 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm. Prayers will be said at 3:30 pm. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Hamilton, on Friday, August 21, 2026 at 10:00 am. Burial to follow at Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery, Burlington.