Stephanie Frankel

Stephanie Frankel, of Sterling Heights, a beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend, passed away on October 26, 2021, at age 95. Stephanie was loved and cherished by many people, including her family and those in the Polish American community in the Detroit area, where she was active for many decades serving in positions in the Veterans of the 2nd Polish Corps and Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa).

Stephanie was a courageous World War II survivor and an inspiration to everyone who knew her. Born Steptember 2, 1926 in Lomza, Poland, Stephanie (Stefania Jadwiga Sophia) was named after her father, Stefan Roszkowski. In 1939, Stephanie was 13 years old when Hitler, with no legitimate reason, invaded western Poland and Stalin invaded eastern Poland, eventually arresting her beloved father. It was heartbreaking that Stephanie and her family never again saw nor heard from her father after he was taken by the Soviet Army just days before Christmas. In April 1940, armed Soviet soldiers came to Stephanie’s home in Lida (in what is currently Belarus), ordering her family to pack their bags in 20 minutes. Stephanie, her sister Agnieska and their mother Helena along with thousands of Polish families and children were forcibly deported from Poland and were sent to communes (kohoze) in today’s Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, where she worked on farms. In 1941, General Wladyslaw Anders managed to arrange 70,000 Polish soldiers and 43,000 civilians to leave the Soviet Union and ensure the education of the students. May 1942 Stephanie and other students under the age of 18 joined with Polish cadets under the British High Command in the Middle East. Her secondary school- Szkol Mlodszych Ochotniczeka (SMO), was established in Nazareth, Palestine. Stephanie was shipped to England in August 1947 as part of the UK’s resettlement of displaced persons at the end of WWII. Stephanie met Zbyszek (Zbigniew) Kalinowski at one of the resettlement camps in Guilford, England. Zbyszek (or John as he was known) served in the second Polish Corps as a 2nd Lieutenant and also the Polish Home Army. They married in 1948 and to secure engineering work they moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina where their daughters Barbara (1951) and Cristina (1949) were born. In 1953, the couple immigrated sailing the “Evita Peron” to New York, then via train, to Detroit to join Zbigniew’s parents, Mieczyslaw and Helen Kalinowski, and his brother George. She reveled in being with family. They were a very busy couple participating in Polish veterans affairs while raising their family. Sadly, Zbigniew (John) passed away at age 48 leaving Stephanie a widow at age 42.

Stephanie took classes and worked in the insurance and banking industries to support herself and her daughters’ college educations at the University of Michigan and Michigan State. Seven years later, she met and married Miecyslaw Frankel and was introduced to a new family of stepchildren, and grandchildren. Stephanie enjoyed spending time with family, playing bridge, singing, dancing and hosting and attending parties with friends. In recent years, Stephanie continued her involvement with the veterans of the Polish Home Army and the American Polish Cultural Center in Troy, MI. attending monthly meetings with friends. During the last four years she became close to Halina Czechak and Hanna Kuczynski forming deep bonds of love and friendship; they were with her daily. Stephanie stayed positive while struggling with health challenges and her engaging smile, warmth, energy, and love for life, family and friends will be dearly missed.

Stephanie is survived by her daughters, Barbara (Patrick) Kalinowski Foley of Arlington, TX and Cristie Hoffman; granddaughter, Carrie Ann Hoffman of California; sister Agnieszka Agniewszka/ Jagoda (Riszkowska) Sinka of Essex, England and nephew Zenon (Pam) Sinka and family of Braintree, England; niece Rose Sinka Staines of Sudbury, England and family; nephew George Caddick and family of Sudbury, England; nephews Mark (Patty) Kalinowski of Sevierville, TN and family and Thomas Kalinowski of Knoxville,TN and family; nieces, Anne Kalinowski of Northville, MI and Susan (Chuck) Dziadzio and family of South Lyon, MI; cousins Krysia Gwizdak and family of Long Beach, CA and Danuta (Janusz) Giderewicz in Lublin, Poland and Jurek (Ewa) Roszkowski of Warsaw, Poland; and stepdaughters, Ewa Frankel Krupa and family of Birmingham and Hania (Chester Frankel) Cifani and family of Rochester, MI. Stephanie is predeceased by her mother Helen, second husband Mieczyslaw Frankel who passed in 2017, her stepson Roman Frankel, and her niece Maria Sinka Caddick.

Visitation Thursday, November 11th from 4pm until 7pm with a Rosary to take place at 6pm by Father Adam Slominski at A.H. Peters Funeral Home in Warren, 32000 Schoenherr Road.The family will be Instate at 10am Friday, November 12th until time of Funeral Mass at 10:30am at Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, 3100 18 Mile Road, Sterling Heights, MI 48314. Burial to take place at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Detroit. Memorial Donations to the American Polish Cultural Center, 2975 E Maple Road, Troy, MI 48083, are appreciated.