Zophia K. Denham

Sophia "Zofia" Kruszynska Denham died Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008, at her home. She was born Feb. 23, 1913, in Poland and was educated at an art school in Poland. At the beginning of World War II, she lived in eastern Poland with her husband, Lucius Grebocki, a Polish military officer and their daughter, Maria. She and Maria were taken prisoner by the Soviet army and sent to Kazakhstan. Her husband was murdered at the hands of the Soviets in the Katyn Woods Massacre. Along with other Polish compatriots, she and Maria made their way to Iran where she was employed by the Polish Legation as a linguist working with the American forces on the Lend-Lease Program with Britain. In 1945, she married Capt. Samuel Denham, a Scotsman with the British Army. They immigrated to the United States in 1947 with their daughters, Maria and Barbara. In the mid-1950s, the family became American citizens. Mrs. Denham was a noted artist who loved Louisiana and found great inspiration for her paintings in the beauty of the state and its gracious people. She was a lover of music and was active in the Community Concerts, the Baton Rouge Symphony, Music Club of Baton Rouge, the Louisiana Sinfonietta and the Philharmonic Club of which she was a past president. She was founding member of St. Aloysius Parish and a choir member from its beginning. She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Francis Guglielmo; a son-in-law, W. Malcolm Stevenson, of New Orleans; grandsons, Adam Stevenson and Gregory Stevenson, both of New Orleans; granddaughters, Katherine Guglielmo Tiffin and husband Christopher, of Baton Rouge, and Leigh Guglielmo, of Atlanta; great-granddaughter, Sophia Stevenson, of Coral Springs, Fla.; and a nephew, Dr. Michael Peszke, of Providence, R.I. She is also survived by a niece and two nephews who live in Poland. She was predeceased by her husband, Samuel Denham; and daughter, Maria Stevenson. Visitation will be at St. Aloysius Catholic Church on Tuesday, Feb. 5, from 9 a.m. until a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m., celebrated by the Rev. Gerald Burns. A private burial will follow. Rabenhorst Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Pallbearers will be Christopher Tiffin, Adam Stevenson, Gregory Stevenson, Francisco Lara, William Jarman and Arthur Abercrombie. Honorary pallbearers are Dr. Charles Patterson, Dr. Michael Peszke, Dr. Bill Henk and Nicolas Kariouk. Donations may be made to St. Aloysius Catholic Church, 2025 Stuart Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70808; the Louisiana Sinfonietta, P.O. Box 20730, Baton Rouge, LA 70894 and the LSU School of Music through the LSU Foundation, 3838 W. Lakeshore Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70810.