Anthony Kowal
Friday, June 13th, 1924 – Tuesday, January 12th, 2021
Vera Kowal (Wasylyk)
Monday, October 24th, 1932 – Friday, January 22nd, 2021
NIECH ODPOCZYWAJĄ W POKOJU
Bóg powołał do wieczności: śp. † Anthony Kowal (96) & † Vera Kowal (88)
Prywatna Msza św. pogrzebowa za duszę śp. Antoniego & Very miała miejsce w naszym kościele
29 stycznia 2021. Zmarłych polecamy Bożemu Miłosierdziu, a rodzinie i znajomym pogrążonym w żałobie składamy wyrazy współczucia.
Wieczne odpoczywanie racz Im dać Panie.
MAY THEY REST IN PEACE
Recently, God called to eternity: † Anthony Kowal (96) & † Vera Kowal (88)
We offer our heartfelt condolences to their family,
and to all those who have passed away we offer God’s mercy.
Give them eternal rest O Lord!
ANTHONY’S OBITUARY
KOWAL, Anthony (Tony), born June 13,1924, passed away at his home with his beloved wife, Vera, at his bedside on January 12, 2021, in his 97th year. Cherished husband of Vera, beloved father of Jeannette, Richard, Christopher and Jacqueline (Robert). Adored grandfather of Krystian and of his pre-deceased grandson, Mark Anthony. Tony immigrated to Canada from Poland after serving during WWII in the Militia as well as in the British army where he mastered his command of the English language. After working at various jobs across Canada, he settled in Oshawa and worked at General Motors for 39 years.
Tony married his soul mate and the love of his life, Vera, in 1955. They were absolutely inseparable and completely devoted to each other. They would have celebrated their 66th anniversary on February 12, 2021. Tony had a great passion for learning. He completed his high school diploma in Canada as an adult and continued to take college level courses throughout his life. His dream was to become a writer but instead he devoted his life to his family, putting his dream of becoming a best-selling author on hold. He honed his public speaking skills by joining the Toastmasters Club in 1969 where he remained an active member for 52 years and received numerous accolades and awards. Tony was very proud of his Polish heritage and was very active in the Oshawa Polish community. Throughout the 1980’s he was a volunteer ESL teacher to new immigrants from Poland. During his 41 years as a member of the Polish Alliance of Canada Branch 21, he received multiple honours. In 2008, at a ceremony at the Polish Consulate in Toronto, he was greatly honoured to have bestowed upon him the “Golden Cross of Merit” from the President of the Republic of Poland for outstanding lifetime contributions to the Polish community in Canada.
Tony was a devout Catholic and found great peace and solace in being a faithful member of St. Hedwig’s Polish parish where he attended weekly Mass without fail. Tony was a self-taught pianist and had a love for Classical piano, a love which he nurtured in all four of his children. Around the house he was a master of DIY projects. Tony was quiet and gentle, humble and unassuming, an intellectual and an incredibly hard worker who was always ready to lend a helping hand. He had a wonderful sense of humour, loved to laugh, was always ready with a smile and always had a kind word for everyone. Words cannot express how truly loved he was by his wife and children and how very much he is and always will be missed.
VERA’S OBITUARY
KOWAL (née Wasylyk), Vera, born September 24, 1932, passed away at Lakeridge Health Centre in Oshawa on January 22, 2021 in her 89th year. Devastated by the passing, on January 12, 2021, of Anthony, her husband, soul mate and love of her life, Vera suffered a massive stroke three days later, on January 15, 2021. Six days after her stroke, she passed away with her devoted son, Christopher, by her bedside. Beloved and devoted wife of Anthony. Cherished mother of Jeannette, Richard, Christopher and Jacqueline (Robert). Adored grandmother of Krystian and of her pre-deceased grandson, Mark Anthony.
Of Ukrainian descent, Vera was born and raised on a farm in Pickering. She was the sister of Josephine and the second of only two children born to Julia and William Wasylyk. Vera attended public school and high school in Pickering before their family moved to Oshawa. After high school, she attended nursing school at Oshawa General Hospital School of Nursing, completing her practicum at Toronto General Hospital and at the (former) Whitby Psychiatric Hospital in 1954. After graduation, she became a floor-duty nurse at the Oshawa General Hospital (now Lakeridge Health Centre). During this time, she met her soon-to-be husband, Anthony, and they were married in 1955. They were completely devoted to one another, inseparable in life and now in death. They would have been married 66 years on February 12, 2021. Professionally, she was quickly promoted to evening Head Nurse and subsequently to evening Supervisor of Nursing at Oshawa General Hospital. She worked part-time while raising 4 children with her husband and accepted a full-time position at the hospital after her children went off to university and college. An active professional life along with raising four children left her little time to nurture her own hobbies and outside interests. After retirement, she enjoyed tending her garden, playing Sudoku, and caring for and helping to raise her grandson, Krystian.
Vera had incredible strength of character, a generosity of spirit and an unrelenting work ethic that permeated everything she did in her life. This work ethic was instilled in her from an early age when she was required to dutifully help her father on their farm. She had an unwavering moral compass and firm set of values and principles that she lovingly imparted to her children. Vera was a kind, gentle, unassuming, generous, and selfless woman with a modest and self effacing nature. She was shy and introverted but enjoyed attending as many Polish and Ukrainian events as possible because she simply loved dancing with her husband. Together they made a strikingly handsome couple. Even as they aged and experienced limited mobility, they would still get out on the dance floor, lovingly support each other, perhaps sway a little for a song or two, and have a wonderful time just being together.
Vera’s husband and children were her life. She was incredibly proud of all of her children. She embodied the essence of motherhood, always putting the well-being and needs of her children first, never needing or wanting to be the centre of attention but instead shunning the limelight so that her children could shine. She felt heart-breaking empathy towards her children, experiencing their pains, trials, and tribulations as though they were her own. Even though years of hard work, various physical injuries, and arthritis began to affect her mobility resulting in a great deal of physical pain, she kept the suffering hidden from others, never complaining, always continuing to put the needs of her family before her own. She remained fiercely independent to the end, insisting on doing everything herself, and only reluctantly accepting help from others.
Vera was an extraordinary wife, mother and grandmother who will be lovingly cherished and live on forever in the memories of her adoring children and grandson. We know that somewhere out there, Mom, you are dancing to your favourite song, “The Last Waltz”, with our beloved Tatuś.
“I fell in love with you,The last waltz should last forever.”
Now, at the end of this dance called life, Mom and Dad, you are dancing your last waltz together and it will last forever as it was always meant to. We love you and miss you both incredibly. The unbearable void that has been left can never be filled.
We, her remaining family, are incredibly grateful to the staff at Lakeridge Health Centre C5 stroke unit, especially Dr. Lee and nurses Tracey, Samantha, Haley and Christina for their loving care, attentiveness, and guidance throughout our mother’s brief final journey.
A visitation was held for Anthony & his wife, Vera, on Wednesday, January 27, 2021. A private funeral mass will be held for both Vera and Anthony together at St. Hedwig’s Church in Oshawa.