Regina Radziszewski joined her recently departed husband of some 60 years, Henryk, on St Valentine’s Day. She passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on February 14th 2019 in North Vancouver, British Columbia a month short of her 87th birthday.
Born in Poznan (Obernik), Poland on March 14th 1932 to Aleksander and Jadwiga (nee Jarecka) Kalinowski. Her school aged years saw her grow up in fear through WWII on the family farm. Longing for her Father, her teenage and early adulthood years took her with continued fear through Poland’s harsh Sovietisation and reconstruction. Happily, the late 50’s placed her, along with her Mother and sister (Stella), on a boat (MS Batory) to Canada and a new and better life in Vancouver where she was reunited with her father.
There, she met her future husband Henryk, married and was blessed with three kids. With Henryk off leaving his hammer mark in a number of Vancouver buildings and residences, Regina raised the kids with laughter, legends and music often singing folk songs and reading stories from Poland. As the kids started to leave the nest, she got more involved in the Polish community, helped with the settlement of a number of Polish immigrants in the Vancouver area and recruitment of new members to the SPK. She was honoured by the Polish Combatants Associate of Vancouver for her service to the community with the SPK Gold Cross.
She will be sadly missed by her children Peter Radziszewski (Anne-Marie Bourret), Isabella Radziszewski (Douglas Leitch) and Victor Radziszewski (Barbara nee Kulik), grandchildren Stephanie Bateson, Candace Bateson, Andrea Gertz (Benjamin), Nicolas Radziszewski, Maxime Radziszewski Sarah-Isabelle Radziszewski and great grandson Jack Purser.
Prayers were said on Friday, February 22nd at St Casimir Church on 1187 East 27th Avenue, Vancouver, followed by a eulogy and Mass of Catholic Burial with Reverend Slawomir Oblak OMI as celebrant.
A reception was held in the church basement preceded with an immediate family burial at the City of North Vancouver Cemetery in the afternoon of February 22nd.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to North Shore Hospice & Palliative Project (Lions Gate Hospital - https://www.lghfoundation.com/get-involved/donate-tribute1/