WANDA VIOLET SKUZANSKI

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WANDA VIOLET SKUZANSKI October 8, 1916 - January 11, 2009 After a long and eventful life, Wanda has passed away peacefully. Born in Winnipeg to Valentine and Nellie Murray, her early life centered around the Polish community in the North End. At the age of 17 she founded the local Girl Guides, with whose members she had a lifelong relationship. She was a teacher of Polish dance. She is a member of the Manitoba Sports Hall of fame as a player of the Winnipeg Falcons 1936 Basketball team. Wanda was very fond of her award-winning African violets, and loved a good pun. Before the Second World War, she was an exchange student and studied in Poland where she met her first husband, Edmund Zukiewicz. After evacuating, literally on the last liner out of Gdansk in 1939, they married in Winnipeg in 1940 and settled in his birthplace of Pittsburgh, USA where their only child, Edmund was born. Upon the accidental death of her husband in 1946, she returned to Winnipeg to begin a new life. While working as a single mother as an administrative assistant, she made the (then) rare bold move of buying a house where she resided until her move to Lions Place in 1992. She married Anthony Skuzanski in 1953 with whom she had many happy years until his passing in 1990. She enjoyed her stay at Lion's Place, where, with the help of their staff and Home Care she remained relatively independent until her demise despite declining health. She thanks them, the staff at H4 Health Sciences Centre, and the staff at Seven Oaks Oncology Department for their cheerful and loving care. A special thanks to her dear friend Kim Kennedy who provided her with delicious home cooked meals for many years. Predeceased by her brother Ed, she is survived by her son Edmund Zuke and his wife, Eileen, granddaughters, Victoria Zuke, Marni Wachs (Larry), Alison Heal (Glen), and Jennifer Dakin (Nick), grandson Art Zuke (Darragh), eight great-grandchildren, a few remaining friends, and many relatives. At her request, immediate cremation has taken place. There will be no service at this time. At a later date, there will be a private family service when we will celebrate her life when she is interred beside her beloved Tony. It's My Turn Be there no death, there be no need for children Be there no children, there be no need for love Be there no love, there be no need for life Edmund Zuke No flowers please. If you wish, please contribute to your favorite charity.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 14, 2009