Irene WAWRZYNIAK

29 SEP 1918 - 28 DEC 2022

• BIRTH: 29 SEP 1918, South Bend, IN
• DEATH: 28 DEC 2022, South Bend, IN

• MARRIAGE: 14 JUN 1941, St Joseph County, South Bend, IN

1.  William John PAJAKOWSKI

INDEX

[N34088] Irene Wawrzyniak Pajakowski
September 29, 1918 - December 28, 2022

SOUTH BEND, IN - Irene Pajakowski, 104, of South Bend, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 at Holy Cross Village Dujarie House. Irene was born September 29, 1918, in South Bend, the third of ten children of Vincent and Michalina (Kaczmarek) Wawrzyniak. Irene was baptized, confirmed, and on June 14, 1941, wed to John J. Pajakowski at St. Adalbert Church. John preceded her in death on January 13, 1996. She was also preceded in death by her son, William J., and his wife Dolores (Van Overberghe); her six sisters, Eleanor Kubasik, Alfreda, Sister Mary Luiza C.S.S.F., Jane Woltman, Stella Jankowski, Sally Borkowski, and three brothers, Lucian, Edwin, and Stanley. Irene is survived by her two daughters, Sister Mary Ann Pajakowski C.S.C, of Park City, UT, and Margaret, of Chicago, IL; five grandchildren, John W. (Francine), Susan (Phil) Dombrowski, Jennifer (Scott) Singer, and Mary (William) Porter, all of South Bend, and Kristy (Adam) Reese of Lafayette, IN; thirteen great-grandchildren, Mitchell and Paige Pajakowski, Sidney (Taylor) Leda, Spencer (Jalyn) Leda, Summer and Cameron Dombrowski, Madison, William, and Henry Singer, Norah and Brady Porter, and Allison and Vincent Reese; and great, great grand-children, Scarlett, River, Forest, and Bo. Irene worked for over thirty years at the former Wilson Brothers/Enro Shirt Company. She was active in the Parent Teacher Association, the Felician Sisters Auxiliary, and the Rosary Society at St. Adalbert Parish. She also served as a leader in the parish Camp Fire Girls group. When she retired, she volunteered at St. Adalbert School as librarian, and as a member of the church cleaning crew. She attended classes for many years at Harvest House and Forever Learning Institute, taking classes ranging from Polish History to wycinanki making to yoga. Irene was an excellent seamstress and quilter, making clothes and quilts for herself, her children, grandchildren, and family. She was also a great cook and baker, making delicious pierogi and sunshine cakes for birthdays and family parties. She traveled to Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Italy, and to Poland, where she was able to reconnect with relatives with whom she had corresponded for many years. Stateside, she also flew to Alaska and to Utah, and the family made many visits to Livonia, Michigan to visit her sister and the Felician Sisters community there. Visitation will be held at Kaniewski Funeral Home, Inc., 3545 N. Bendix Drive, South Bend, IN, from 3:00pm to 7:00 p.m., Monday, January 2, 2022, with a parish rosary at 4:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 3rd, at St. Adalbert Church, 501 S. Olive Street, South Bend. Burial at St. Joseph Cemetery will immediately follow the Mass. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Irene may be made to the Holy Cross Ministry for the Poor, the Felician Sisters of Livonia, MI, St. Adalbert Church, or Dujarie House at Holy Cross Village. To send online condolences and sign an online register book, please visit www.kaniewski.com.