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TILLIE (TEKLA) ROYAL (ZUROWSKI)  Obituary pic TILLIE (TEKLA) ROYAL (ZUROWSKI)  Obituary pic

TILLIE (TEKLA) ROYAL (ZUROWSKI)

Born: Jun 22, 1926

Date of Passing: Jan 15, 2018

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TILLIE (TEKLA) ROYAL (nee ZUROWSKI) June 22, 1926 - January 15, 2018 Mom passed away after a valiant battle against influenza on the morning of Monday, January 15, 2018 at West Park Manor at age 91. Mom had caught influenza about nine days previous and although she rallied several times, she was not able to fight this one. She is lovingly remembered by her daughter Lorraine Whellams; son-in-law Ken; granddaughters, Melissa and Alison; great-grandsons, Lincoln Raymond and Nixon Raymond and a special niece Sharon Kempa. She was predeceased by her parents, Edward and Maria Zurowski; sister and kindred spirit Stephanie Kempa and her niece, Judy Jasson. Mom was born in Zabojki, Poland and immigrated to Canada with her family in 1938. She lived with her family on their farm near Tadmore, Saskatchewan. It took a great deal of courage for her to come to a new country, learn a new language and go to a one room schoolhouse where she was put in a row with children six years younger. But Mom persevered and after finishing school, she went to Winnipeg to find work. She continued her education at night classes and became a successful comptometer operator. She worked at Midwest Paper, Crane Supply, Northern Electric and retired from the office at the Safeway Bread Plant. Mom treasured her new Canadian citizenship and was thankful for all the opportunities that it afforded her and her family especially the opportunity for them to attain University educations. Not only was Mom a woman of perseverance but also great kindness, generosity, humour, energy, and intelligence. She was a hard worker whether it was herding three little girls onto trains for visits to the farm, baking bread in the sweltering heat of a Saskatchewan summer on a wood stove, working in the garden, or milking cows with our Baba; she could be counted on. She was a faithful confidante and tireless helpmate to her much-loved sister Stephanie and between them, they solved the world's problems while chopping hundreds of apples for pies and producing dozens of perogies for the grandchildren. Mom always brought these wonderful goodies in suitcases to Calgary along with cakes from Jeanne's Bakery to celebrate every birthday. When we visited Winnipeg, we returned home with suitcases of the same. No suitcase was too small to fit another batch of apples for pie or another dozen perogies. As well, Mom was her own one-person sewing factory, making dresses, skirts and trousers for the entire family. She was able to refine shopping to an art form especially on her yearly trips to Minneapolis where she scouted out the latest fashions. She was a trendsetter and a bit of a fashionista, always impeccably dressed for all occasions. She was such a perfectionist she never liked to sew clothes for herself because she would always be bothered by the tiny mistake only she knew about. Mom was always up for a new challenge or adventure. She was often the first one amongst her friends or family to do or try new things. She took yoga when it was considered to be a weird religion, she ate pizza before it became as common as French fries and tried lobster when Winnipeggers thought it was a strange creature. Travel for Mom was an opportunity to explore and she travelled to the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and all of Canada but paradise for her was Hawaii. Having granddaughters and then great-grandsons was a particular joy for her. She adored them and showered them with love and attention whenever possible. The boys were always referred to as "the presidents" and they lovingly called her "Old Baba". Mom retired at age 65 and had 20 wonderful years travelling and enjoying the company of her many friends and family. A poster on her granddaughter's wall said, "Don't pray for an easy life, pray to be a strong person." Mom embodied that. At the age of 86, she was diagnosed with dementia. The later loss of her ability to walk or communicate was particularly cruel for her although she continued to look her best with weekly visits to the hairdresser as well as attendance at activities at West Park Manor. Despite many of life's challenges and obstacles, she never complained and she never gave up. Our family would like to acknowledge the kindness and care given to Mom by her two companions Susan Rogers and Cecilia Dumontier, as well, a special thanks to her niece Sharon for her weekly visits to Mom. A small family memorial will be held in Calgary, Alberta in the spring. To help fund a cure of dementia, a donation to the Alzheimer Society of Canada (alzheimer.ca) would be greatly appreciated. Wojcik's Funeral Chapels & Crematoriums, 2157 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg 204.897.4665 www.wojciksfuneralchapel.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 17, 2018

Condolences & Memories (1 entries)

  • I am so sorry to hear of your mother's passing. I worked with Tillie at Safeway Bread Plant just prior to her retirement. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. - Posted by: Cara Phillips Baswick (Co-worker) on: Apr 13, 2018

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Wojcik’s All Beliefs & Faiths Funeral Chapel (Portage Avenue)

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