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ZOFIA NISIEWICZ

ZOFIA NISIEWICZ (nee Budzan), 97 and a half.  Peacefully passed at home on October 15, 2024. Beloved wife of the late Jozef Nisiewicz, loving sister of Jozef Budzan (Glubczyce, Poland), and preceded in death by her parents Weronika and Kazimierz, her brother Stanislaw, and sister Marysia. Cherished Godmother of Christine Emig (Ron) and aunt to Edyta (Poland) and Iryna (Ukraine). She will be dearly missed by many, including family in Poland and Canada, and her lifelong friends, the late Stephanie Kossak and Roma Rebic. Zofia was truly a force of nature who embraced life with humor, grit, and love.

Zofia was born in the village of Bogdanowice, Poland, in March of 1927—though, true to her mysterious nature, the exact date of her birth was lost to history. During World War II, when the family’s home and belongings were destroyed by soldiers and bombs, her mother hurriedly gave “the 27th” as Zofia’s birth date while being rushed in line for new birth certificates for the whole family, despite young Zofia’s best efforts to correct her. The official date stuck, though Zofia loved to joke that no one really knew when her birthday was.

Growing up on a modest farm as the eldest of four siblings, Zofia learned the values of hard work, faith, and laughter. When the war left her family without food, Zofia’s resourcefulness came through early—she famously knitted a sweater to trade for a goat, which fed her baby brother milk. From one goat came another, and soon the family had baby goats, all thanks to her skills with yarn! Zofia would fondly reminisce about those days, including the time when, out of necessity, they made underwear out of itchy hemp grown on their farm. “It wasn’t pretty, but it did the job,” she’d say with her signature wit.

After the war, Zofia worked in an office in Poland, biking miles each day to get to and from work. She referred to herself as a “simple farm girl,” though her life was anything but. In her later adult years, Zofia moved to the United States, sponsored by her uncle, and began a new chapter. She found work sewing men’s suits at Joseph & Feiss Co., where she met her lifelong friend Stephanie. It was also during this time that she met her future husband, Jozef.

Their engagement was marked by Zofia’s battle with tuberculosis, a challenge she faced with her characteristic resilience. Hospitalized for many months, she endured a series of treatments that affected her ability to have children. However, love never wavered, and Jozef married her during her illness, vowing to care for her as her devoted husband. They settled into their Parma home on Gilbert Ave and began building a life together. They raised parakeets in their home, and Zofia had a great love for birds. She was an exceptionally talented knitter and crocheter. She created and gifted baby blankets, booties, doilies, hats, and large blankets—beautiful works of art cherished by many. Her skilled hands were rarely idle.

After recovering, she began working in housekeeping at May Company, a job she held until her retirement in 1989. Ever practical, Zofia quietly saved her earnings to buy herself the kitchen cabinets she had always dreamed of. She never forgot her farming roots and continued gardening. When they moved to their Seven Hills home, her green thumb flourished, and her front and back yards bloomed with the most gorgeous peonies each spring. Her backyard featured fairytale-like blackberry bushes, with berries as large as thumbs, and branches bended into arches. The berry yield was made into delicious wine – a stunning clear garnet color that was as tasty as it was beautiful. 

Zofia had a love for nature that extended beyond her garden. She was a skilled mushroom hunter, heading out to her secret spots in the woods and returning with baskets full of treasures for her kitchen. Her sense of tradition ran deep—whether it was mushroom hunting or singing the folk songs of Poland with a voice as sweet as the birds she raised, Zofia found joy in life’s simple pleasures.

Her strong faith was a guiding light throughout her life. A devoted member of St. Columbkille Church, Zofia attended Mass regularly and prayed the rosary daily, finding peace and comfort in her prayers, whether they were said in Polish or English.

A visit to Zofia’s home was always an event. You knew you’d leave with more than you came with—whether it was garden vegetables, pierogies, or a new story to tell. And if it was a holiday or a special occasion, you’d be sure to start with two shots of Polish vodka, one for each leg, so you could “walk straight.”

Zofia’s humor was as sharp as her potato peels. She could peel a potato so thinly it was almost transparent—nothing went to waste in her kitchen. Her cooking was legendary. “Give her a shoe, and she’d make you soup,” her family would joke. She loved soup of all kinds but had a special fondness for chicken noodle and, of course, potatoes. Throughout her lifetime, she made thousands upon thousands of pierogies, always insisting that the trick to the best dough was making sure it was as soft as your upper arm skin!

After Jozef’s passing in 2002, Zofia stayed active. She traveled with her Goddaughter Chris and best friend Stephanie, checking off destinations like Hawaii, Alaska, Key West, Mexico, and Las Vegas, and even participating in local Cleveland bus tours. Despite her age, she was always up for an adventure. Roma was also a regular companion, and it was often said that a reality show featuring their antics would be a hit.

Even in her final years, Zofia never slowed down. She shoveled mulch in the spring, mowed her lawn in the summer, and cleaned her flowerbeds in the fall. This past summer Paul took over lawn duties but she still did a few spins with the mower, as she refused to let anything—not even time—keep her from her routines. Recognizing when she needed extra help, Zofia remained independent and in her home with the care and love from her Goddaughter Chris and Ron Emig, Wanda Dregalla, Paul Dregalla, Roma Rebic, The Radwanski family, her neighbors, and the wonderful visiting nurses.

Zofia was a proud member of the PVA Post 1, where she marched in parades celebrating her Polish heritage, often in full uniform, with a sense of pride and dignity.

Zofia’s life was a testament to resilience, gratitude, and laughter. From cooking over an open fire in her youth to mastering an air fryer in her later years, she witnessed the world change but never lost her appreciation for the simple things. She was always thankful and independent while working and laughing, and being her own Boss.

Her surviving brother, Jozef, still resides in Glubczyce, Poland, where he eagerly awaits the birth of his first grandchild. Zofia will be remembered not only for her strength and love but for her unwavering humor and kindness. Her legacy will live on in the hearts of all who knew her, and she will always be cherished as a woman who truly knew how to turn life’s hardships into stories worth telling.

Services 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at GOLUBSKI FUNERAL HOME, 5986 Ridge Road, Parma, 44129. Funeral Mass 10 a.m. St. Columbkille Church. Interment Holy Cross Cemetery. Friends received TUESDAY FROM 5-8 PM.

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