Mary Osinski
April 8, 1927 ~ October 27, 2010
Following a very brief illness, Mary Osinski, beloved wife of Felix Osinski, passed away October 27, 2010 at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary, Alberta.
Mary Hodowanec was born April 8, 1927 in Solotwina, Ukraine. At age fifteen, she was captured by German soldiers and sent to Germany to work on a farm and later in a shoe factory until the war ended. After liberation, Mary travelled to England, where she met her future husband, Felix Osinski. They were married in 1948 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England. In 1952, with their young son, Zenek, they boarded the S.S. Atlantic for a new life in Canada. They pointed to the middle of the map and chose Manitoba as their new home, heading for Winnipeg, then Virden, where Felix worked on a dairy farm. After a few years, they moved to Brandon, where they had two more children, Rose and Joe.
Mary worked at various restaurants and then at Brandon University in housekeeping until she retired. She was an involved member of St. Hedwig’s Catholic Church and the Sokol Hall. She loved gardening, flowers and Ukrainian culture.
After retiring, Mary and Felix moved to a beautiful property in Creston, B.C. in 1998. They spent twelve wonderful years there, enjoying the mild winters and growing a bounty of cherries and other fruits.
Mary’s greatest concern was her family, who were well-fed on her amazing perogies, cabbage rolls and her endless supply of love. Mary also enjoyed hosting family members from Ukraine and made two trips back there to reconnect with her family. In early October, 2010, Mary and Felix moved to Calgary to be closer to family. They had been settled for a mere three weeks when she suddenly took ill.
Mary was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother who will be dearly missed by her loving husband, Felix, son Zenek (Krystyna) Osinski of London, Ontario, daughter Rose (Bill) Halase of Calgary, son Joe (Judy) Osinski of Calgary, grandchildren Anna and Peter Osinski of London, and grandsons Paul and Andrew Osinski of Calgary, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends in North America and Ukraine.
A prayer service was held on
Sunday evening, October 31, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. at Heritage Funeral Home
1708 16th Ave. N.W. , Calgary AB.
A funeral service was held Monday, November 1, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at
Our Lady Queen Of Peace Roman Catholic Church
2111 Uxbridge Dr. N.W., Calgary AB.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Holy Cross Catholic Church
128 16th Ave. N., Creston, BC V0B 1G0 or
St. Augustine of Canterbury Roman Catholic Church
327 4th St., Brandon, MB R7A 3H1.
You may forward condolences through
www.hffs.com.