SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – Viola Wojtowicz, passed away in her sleep Thursday, January 26, 2012.
Born on Valentine's Day, 1922, to John Kulin of Lithuania and Helen Grebus of Poland, she was a graduate of commercial business school. In 1946 Viola married Stanley Wojtowicz, an Army veteran of the Battle of the Bulge. They raised their children, Stanley and Eileen, in New York City and later in Broadalbin, NY.
Vi had a strong work ethic. She was a restaurant and business owner and, with her husband, helped run the Broadalbin Hotel, Stan’s Tavern, Stan’s Delicatessen, and the Crossroads Drive-in. She also worked as an executive secretary at General Electric in Schenectady for over 20 years.
After her husband died in 1985, she moved to Saratoga Springs to be closer to her children and became an active member of the Senior Citizens Center. Viola was known as a “good-time girl” and loved to sing, dance the polka, and write original poetry in cards she sent. To her friends and family she was ever cheerful, loyal, generous and enormously kind.
Viola led a full and happy life filled with laughter, Scrabble, and potato pancakes. She was an avid reader who kept up with what was going on in the world, and communicated often by phone with her dear friends and family. She was fiercely independent, shared her love of politics and passed on to her family the values of perseverance and hard work as well as an appreciation of their rewards.
For the past six years Vi shared the home of her devoted son, Stan and daughter-in-law, Pamela. Vi was surrounded by friends, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, golden retrievers and things that grow.
She is survived by her children, Stan (Pamela) Wojtowicz and Eileen (Robert) Rowley; siblings, Ruth (John) Rublowsky and Joseph (Andrea) Kulin; grandchildren, Hiliary (James) Murphy, Allison and Joseph Goodspeed; great-grandchildren, Keegan and Kennedy Murphy; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Viola is greatly beloved by her family and close circle of friends. She will be deeply missed by all.
Close friends and family will gather February 18, 2012, for a tribute to and a remembrance of Viola's life. A Mass of Christian Burial is planned in the spring.
“Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so were you.”
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Vi’s name to the Senior Citizens Center of Saratoga Springs at www.saratogaseniorcenter.org.
Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefuneralhome.com.
