Florence Wojcik passed away on Tuesday June 11, 2019 after a long battle with dementia. She was born Florence Restaino to Italian immigrant parents on August 26, 1925 in Newark, New Jersey. Florence had four sisters and four brothers and was the last surviving sibling.
Growing up in extreme poverty, Florence was determined to make a better life for herself and, eventually, her own children. She did just that, starting by becoming Valedictorian of the graduating class of Central High School, Newark, NJ, in 1943.
Unfortunately, she was unable to attend college because she was needed to go to work and help support the family when her brothers joined the service. Florence had a brilliant mind for numbers and loved bookkeeping and accounting. She began working as a bookkeeper in car dealerships and eventually became office manager, and then Comptroller, of several dealerships under the same ownership in Livingston, New Jersey.
She married Stanley Wojcik in 1947 who sadly passed away in 1995. They resided in West Orange, New Jersey until their retirement. After retirement, they divided their time between Winter Park, Florida and Lake Naomi in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania which Flo continued to do until dementia made it impossible for her to live on her own or travel.
Together Florence and Stanley had two children, Edward Wojcik and Wendy Kozak, both of Winter Park. Florence instilled the importance of education and ambition in both her children who earned advanced degrees in business and law and achieved that better life she worked so hard to give them.
Florence was a stern but passionate woman who loved her career, travel, books, word games and puzzles but most of all she loved her grandchildren and great-grandchildren who will miss her dearly. She leaves behind five grandchildren; Chad Wojcik, Eric Kozak, Krista Wilson, Nicole Wojcik, and Jaime Madsen. She is also survived by eight great-grandchildren; Sutton Wilson, Quinn Wilson, Kat Wilson, Kyler Kozak, Trevor Madsen, Jeffrey Madsen, Austin Wojcik and Bella Thomas. In addition, there are countless nieces and nephews who mourn the passing of the last survivor of that generation of our family.
Florence, known to her friends as “Flossie”, was a very private person and never wanted to be the center of attention. For this reason, it was her wish not to have a formal funeral service or memorial. Instead, the family will honor her life in a private ceremony.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing to remember Florence may make a donation in her name to Bishop Grady Villas, 401 Bishop Grady Ct., St. Cloud, FL 34769 or at www.bishopgradyvillas.org. Florence would be pleased and honored to be able to help other men and women with disabilities similar to her beloved grandson, Chad, in this manner.
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