It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mom Irena at age 90. Irena was born in Chorow, Poland, daughter of the late Jozef and Antonina Szkoda. She and her 4 siblings led a quiet and happy life until war broke out. She was only 9 when the Red Army forcibly evicted her family and neighbours. They were transported in packed cattle cars to a labour camp in a remote region of Siberia. By the grace of God, Irena and her family survived 2 years of forced labour, sickness and starvation. When the Soviets joined the Allies, families were freed, allowing able bodied men to form an army and fight to liberate Europe. Mom and her family were transported through the Sudan into Africa, where they lived in a refugee camp in Tanganyika, under Mount Kilimanjaro. When the war ended, families were repatriated to England and there she met Dad. They married but jobs and food shortages forced them to look elsewhere to settle. Canada granted them immigration, so they sailed to Montreal aboard the ship Columbia. Mom and Dad settled in Winnipeg where their first child, a daughter, Maria was born. As jobs were scarce, her young family travelled by train to Hamilton looking for work at Stelco which was hiring. With high hopes for the future, a promising job, and the kindness of a stranger, Mom and Dad were able to settle down and raise their young family.
Our beloved Mamusia was devoted to her family. We were the focus of her life. Coming home from school, we would be greeted with bowls of soup at lunch and a variety of Polish dishes at supper. Mom loved to cook, bake and make preserves. We feasted on the fruits of her labour. She also loved her garden, especially her roses. Mom was a kind and gentle lady but also steadfast in her convictions and her faith in God, a faith that sustained her through many hardships. She always pointed the way, but never stopped us when we chose our own paths. She was also a prankster, and we all got nailed on April Fools. For mom though, any occasion, such as birthdays, was a good one for a prank. She decorated a plastic tub and presented it as a birthday cake. We had fun trying to cut that one!
Mom will be greatly missed by all. She leaves behind 2 sisters Helena Baranek and Danuta Rozwadowski; a daughter Maria and husband John Morel; sons Henryk and wife Susanne, Jan, and Stanislaw with wife Lyne; 7 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. She is predeceased by husband Tadeusz and brothers Jan and Jozef Szkoda.
Due to Covid restrictions, a private family rosary and funeral mass has been arranged. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to a charity of your choice, in memory of Irena.
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