Obituary for Leona Tomczyk
Leona Tomczyk, our beloved mother died suddenly at the age of 97 on November 21, 2020 following an extended illness with heart disease. She was determined not to let her illness get her down and had hopes to make it to STO LAT (100)!
After enduring the hardships of WWII, the Soviet occupation, and life under communism, she felt it was an honor and a privilege to become a US Citizen. Her long and rich life was filled with unfailing faith and prayer, love of her family and service to others. She was always willing to listen and impart nonjudgmental wisdom.
Leona enjoyed visiting her family in various states and countries. In recent years, she enjoyed the peace and solitude of Mille Lacs Lake. She enjoyed nature, her backyard friends the birds she fed so lovingly, cooking, entertaining, gardening, reading, traveling, and spending quality time with her family.
She retired from the Federal Reserve Bank. Leona was an active member at Holy Cross Catholic Church in NE Minneapolis. She belonged to both the Polish & English Ladies Rosary Guilds. She enjoyed going to Polish Mass and devotions, adoration chapel, and singing with the Topola & Polish Choirs. She volunteered for various fundraising dinners and helped make thousands of pierogis for the parish. In the past two years, she crocheted beautiful edging on over 100 baptismal blankets for her church. Leona exemplified these values: love and serve God, love and pray with all your heart, never judge or criticize, be kind, help and serve others, always do your best, and live daily with gratitude.
Leona was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 58 years, John Tomczyk; her brother Andrzej (Poland) and son-in-law, Stefan Litwinczuk. She leaves behind a devoted family: daughters Barbara (John) Szeborowski, Mary (Richard) Brimacomb, Ann (John) Plantin; sons Ted (Jutta) Tomczyk, Stanley (Nancy) Tomczyk, John (Dawn) Tomczyk; grandchildren Stefan (Joliene), Katie (Graham), Kristy (Neil), Michael (Marcie), Alex (Karissa), Nick, Stephanie (Tanner), Jennifer, Jessica, Vivian, Faith, Cameron, Tad; great-grandchildren Adeline, Reed, Eleanor, Samara, Madi, Cora, Jack, Indiana, Henrietta and Winter; sisters Aniela and Zofia, brother Olek in Poland and numerous nephews and nieces in the USA and Poland.
Many thanks to the compassionate staff at Metropolitan Heart Institute, Fridley Fairview Clinic & Pharmacy, Heart and Vascular unit at Mercy Hospital, and to friends and neighbors who generously assisted in many ways. Also, thank you to the many Priests at Holy Cross over the years. God bless you all!
Private Mass of Christian Burial at 11 AM Friday, December 18, at CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS, 1621 University Ave NE. Entombment at Sunset Cemetery. The funeral mass will be streamed/recorded via the following link https://youtu.be/VQv6URVS2tY
When it is safe to gather, another celebration of life Mass will be scheduled at a time TBD.
In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Holy Cross Catholic Church, Sharing and Caring Hands/MN, or Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
After enduring the hardships of WWII, the Soviet occupation, and life under communism, she felt it was an honor and a privilege to become a US Citizen. Her long and rich life was filled with unfailing faith and prayer, love of her family and service to others. She was always willing to listen and impart nonjudgmental wisdom.
Leona enjoyed visiting her family in various states and countries. In recent years, she enjoyed the peace and solitude of Mille Lacs Lake. She enjoyed nature, her backyard friends the birds she fed so lovingly, cooking, entertaining, gardening, reading, traveling, and spending quality time with her family.
She retired from the Federal Reserve Bank. Leona was an active member at Holy Cross Catholic Church in NE Minneapolis. She belonged to both the Polish & English Ladies Rosary Guilds. She enjoyed going to Polish Mass and devotions, adoration chapel, and singing with the Topola & Polish Choirs. She volunteered for various fundraising dinners and helped make thousands of pierogis for the parish. In the past two years, she crocheted beautiful edging on over 100 baptismal blankets for her church. Leona exemplified these values: love and serve God, love and pray with all your heart, never judge or criticize, be kind, help and serve others, always do your best, and live daily with gratitude.
Leona was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 58 years, John Tomczyk; her brother Andrzej (Poland) and son-in-law, Stefan Litwinczuk. She leaves behind a devoted family: daughters Barbara (John) Szeborowski, Mary (Richard) Brimacomb, Ann (John) Plantin; sons Ted (Jutta) Tomczyk, Stanley (Nancy) Tomczyk, John (Dawn) Tomczyk; grandchildren Stefan (Joliene), Katie (Graham), Kristy (Neil), Michael (Marcie), Alex (Karissa), Nick, Stephanie (Tanner), Jennifer, Jessica, Vivian, Faith, Cameron, Tad; great-grandchildren Adeline, Reed, Eleanor, Samara, Madi, Cora, Jack, Indiana, Henrietta and Winter; sisters Aniela and Zofia, brother Olek in Poland and numerous nephews and nieces in the USA and Poland.
Many thanks to the compassionate staff at Metropolitan Heart Institute, Fridley Fairview Clinic & Pharmacy, Heart and Vascular unit at Mercy Hospital, and to friends and neighbors who generously assisted in many ways. Also, thank you to the many Priests at Holy Cross over the years. God bless you all!
Private Mass of Christian Burial at 11 AM Friday, December 18, at CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS, 1621 University Ave NE. Entombment at Sunset Cemetery. The funeral mass will be streamed/recorded via the following link https://youtu.be/VQv6URVS2tY
When it is safe to gather, another celebration of life Mass will be scheduled at a time TBD.
In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Holy Cross Catholic Church, Sharing and Caring Hands/MN, or Society of St. Vincent de Paul.