Mrs. Antonina (Toni) Lipinski, age 90, a resident of Bethammi Nursing Home passed away peacefully after a lengthy battle with dementia on Thursday, February 11, 2016.
Beloved mother of Stella (Fred) Alexander and Joe (Helen) Lipinski. Grandmother of Cindy Alexander, Kathryn (Scott) Armstrong, Krysta Alexander, Michelle (Billy) Martin and Stephen (Megan) Lipinski. Great -grandmother of Ailey and Melia Armstrong, Ella and Olivia Martin, Dayton and Lochlon Lipinski.
Antonina was born in Poland, February 24, 1925. In 1940, she and her family were taken into forced labour in Russia. When the exiled Polish Government was granted permission to join the Allied forces to fight Germany, Antonina and her family were able to leave Russia.
She was relocated to England and joined the Royal Air Force and remained there until the end of the war. In 1946, Antonina immigrated to Canada and in 1948, married Stefan Lipinski.
In 1964, she joined the workforce and became an employee of McKellar General Hospital.
She enjoyed her job and all of the people she worked with, retiring at the age of 65. Antonina was an active and dedicated member of St. Casmir's Church as well as a member of Royal Canadian Legion BR#149 and the Lady's Auxiliary.
She spent many enjoyable hours pinching peirogi, and socializing with fellow peirogi pinchers. Antonina lived for her grandchildren and never left her house without a purse full of gum that she enjoyed sharing with her grandchildren and their many friends. She was predeceased by her husband Stefan, parents, two sisters and one brother.
Also left to mourn is her sister Zofia Krol, numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives in Canada, Poland and New Zealand.
Funeral services will be held on, Wednesday, February 17, 2016 when family and friends will gather for the Funeral Mass in St. Casimir's Church at 11:00 a.m. celebrated by Rev. Terry Sawchuk.
Visitation will be held one hour prior to service. Interment will follow at Mountain View Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family respectfully request donations to Life Enrichment Program of Bethammi Nursing Home; care of St. Joseph's Foundation of Thunder Bay; 63 Carrie St, Thunder Bay, ON P7A 4J2.
Antonina Lipinski will be remembered in the Blake Funeral Chapel Memorial Grove. Annual dedication service Sunday, June 11, 2017.
