Obituary
Mary Srebnik (nee Tomaszewski)It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Mary Srebnik, on Sunday, April 19, succumbing to the COVID-19 virus. Mary, 97 years old, is predeceased by her husband, Zygmunt (Ziggy), her two brothers Jan (John) and Kazimierz (Casimir) and her two sisters, Zosia (Sophie) and Jadzia (Heddy), she leaves behind a large family, her sister Irene, along with many nephews and nieces, never having children of her own.
Mary was born in Eastern Poland in March of 1923, the first of four children of Stefan and Alexandra Tomaszewski. Her childhood was riddled with tragedy and difficulty, beginning with the loss of her mother in 1931, at the age of 8. Her father, Stefan, remarried and had two more children, which allowed life to somewhat normalize for Mary up until the outbreak of World War II. In February of 1940, five months after war broke out, the entire Tomaszewski family was arrested at gun point by the Soviets and deported to Siberia, for forced labour. Mary described her time in Siberia as an absolute nightmare, where she and the entire family faced bitter cold, starvation, hard labour and constant threats by the Soviet authorities. To add to the tragedy, her step-mother, became gravely ill and passed away, leaving Mary as the matriarch of the family, now responsible for her younger siblings. She courageously dedicated herself to care for her siblings, especially her sisters, whom she tended to for the duration of their time in Siberia and post their release. After spending one and half years in the Siberian Gulag, the family was released as part of a greater amnesty, allowing them to travel South to join with other Polish refugees and the hope of finding a better place to settle. Their trek South took months and was filled with extreme difficulties and danger, including a six-hundred kilometer raft journey, hunger, lice and other illnesses. The journey led them from Siberia, down through the Urals, across the Caspian Sea into Iran and finally into East Africa, where Mary and her sisters remained in a Polish refugee camp until 1948. Mary and her sisters eventually made their way to England, where Mary reacquainted herself with a family friend, whom she married in 1949. Mary and Zygmunt found their way to Canada in the early 50’s, eventually buying a Farm in the Holland Marsh in Ontario, where she farmed for the next sixty years.
Mary spent her life supporting family, friends and causes in any way she could. She dedicated herself to her work, her family and her religion, being a dedicated Catholic. She was a beautiful soul that will be sorely missed.
A sincere thank you from me, Les Tomaszewski, her Godson, along with my brother’s Richard, Jerry and Henry (her nephews, son’s of her late brother Kazimierz), for the remarkable kindness and support you have provided us. You will always be in our hearts, loved forever.
Visitation
Date
April 23, 2020
April 23, 2020
Location
Cardinal Funeral Homes - Bathurst Chapel
Cardinal Funeral Homes - Bathurst Chapel
Time
09:00 AM - 10:00 AM
09:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Memo
Provincial Covid-19 precautions limit a maximum of 10 people in the funeral home at a time. This may require visitors to wait in line for access to the building.
Service
Date
April 23, 2020
April 23, 2020
Location
Cardinal Funeral Homes - Bathurst Chapel
Cardinal Funeral Homes - Bathurst Chapel
Time
Memo
Private Family Service
Burial
Date
April 23, 2020
April 23, 2020
Location
Park Lawn Cemetery
Park Lawn Cemetery
Time
November 23, 2021
Niedługo minie 2 lata od śmierci Pani Marysi. Jej przyjaciółka, Krystyna Darowska-Jakl (96 lat!) ciągle wspomina wspólne szczęśliwe dzieciństwo w Czerwiszczach na Wołyniu. Marysia i Krysia-przyjaciółki, których przyjaźń trwała prawie 100 lat...Spoczywaj w spokoju, Pani Marysiu.
August 20, 2020
Kochana Marysiu!
Znałyśmy się całe życie - 95 lat, prawie 100 lat. Urodziłyśmy się w jednej wsi: Czerwiszcze na Wołyniu, gdzie razem spędziłyśmy dzieciństwo. Chodziłyśmy do jednej szkoły, tylko Ty byłaś o dwa lata starsza. Latem pływałyśmy w rzece Stochód, zimą bawiłyśmy się na śniegu. Niestety, dzieciństwo zabrała nam wojna. Zesłanie na Sybir. Ale nigdy nie zapomniałyśmy o sobie. Gdy po wojnie Ty wyjechałaś do Kanady, a ja wróciłam z zesłania do Polski i zamieszkałam we Wrocławiu, to nigdy nie rozdzieliłyśmy się mentalnie. Dzieliły nas tysiące kilometrów, ale przez wszystkie lata naszego życia byłyśmy blisko. Nigdy nie zapomnę naszego spotkania po wojnie w Polsce, naszych częstych rozmów telefonicznych, pełnych zwierzeń i wspomnień. Będziesz zawsze w pamięci mojej i mojej rodziny.
Żegnaj Marysiu, moja kochana Przyjaciółko!
-Krystyna Darowska-Jakl 95 lat
Wrocław, Polska
Dear Marysia!
We've known each other all our lives - 95 years, almost 100 years. We were born in one village: Czerwiszcze in Volhynia, where we spent our childhood together. We went to one school, only You were two years older. In summer we swam in the Stochód River, in winter we played in the snow. Unfortunately, the war took our childhood away. Exile to Siberia. But we never forgot about ourselves. When You left for Canada after the war, and I returned from exile to Poland and settled in Wroclaw, we never got mentally separated. Thousands of kilometers separated us, but all the years of our lives we were close. I will never forget our meeting in Poland after the war, our frequent phone calls, full of confidences and memories. You will always be remembered by me and my family.
Goodbye Marysia, my beloved Friend!
-Krystyna Darowska-Jakl 95 years old
Wroclaw, Poland
Szanowna Pani Marysiu!
To był wielki honor dla mnie poznać Panią i móc spełnić Pani marzenie dotyczące przeszłości.
Kiedyś napiszę o Pani w mojej książce o mieszkańcach polskiej osady wojskowej Czerwiszcze.
Nigdy o Pani nie zapomnę!
Spoczywaj w pokoju.
-Małgorzata Stelmaszczyk (przyjaciółka pani Krystyny)
Opole, Polska
Dear Mrs Marysia!
It was a great honor for me to meet You and to be able to fulfill Your dream about the past.
One day I will write about You in my book about the inhabitants of the Polish military settlement in Czerwiszcze.
Mrs Marysia, I will never forget You!
Rest in peace.
-Małgorzata Stelmaszczyk (a friend of Mrs. Krystyna)
Opole, Poland
August 19, 2020
Bardzo zasmuciła mnie ta informacja. Pisałem o narzeczonym Marii z czasów wojny - Teodorze Klodzinskim który był żołnierzem 2 Korpusu i zginął w Italii w 1944 roku. Wiem że Maria posiadała depozyt pośmiertny Teodora - fotografie pamiątki. Raz udało mi się rozmawiać telefonicznie z Maria, trzy lata temu. Odpoczywaj w pokoju
April 23, 2020
We are saddened to hear of Mary's passing. May she be at Peace. Our condolences.
April 23, 2020
So sorry for your loss, she was a real trooper and a fighter. Any time I was feeling a little sorry for myself I would think of your aunt driving a cube van to market, she was a great power of example to me. May she RIP
April 23, 2020
In the 1950s my father first befriended Mary and Zygmunt while living in the same house in Toronto. My mother joined him later and they started their new life together in Canada. Eventually I came along. My mother asked Mary to be my Godmother because she was one of the best people my mother knew. Not really having any family here, I always thought of Mary more of an aunt than one of my parent's friends.
I remember sitting around the kitchen table at the farm when I was a kid, and the adults talking about their hardships during the war. Now they are all gone and I wish I'd paid more attention.
My sincere condolences.
Tomaszewski family you are fortunate, as am I, to have known such a person as Mary.
May she rest in peace.
April 23, 2020
In the 1950s my father first befriended Mary and Zygmunt while living in the same house in Toronto. My mother joined him later and they started their new life together in Canada. Eventually I came along. My mother asked Mary to be my Godmother because she was one of the best people my mother knew. Not really having any family here, I always thought of Mary more of an aunt than one of my parent's friends.
I remember sitting around the kitchen table at the farm when I was a kid, and the adults talking about their hardships during the war. Now they are all gone and I wish I'd paid more attention.
My sincere condolences.
Tomasevski family you are fortunate, as am I, to have known such a person as Mary.
May she rest in peace.
April 22, 2020
kindly accept our deepest condolences on the passing of your Ciocia. May she rest in peace.
April 22, 2020
Henry, Les, Jerry and Richard please accept our sincerest condolences for the passing of your aunt Mary who I had the pleasure of meeting a few times at your moms place. I enjoyed her stories about her life experiences and know she will be dearly missed
April 22, 2020
Sincere condolences. May she Rest In Peace. A special thank you to nephew’s Richard, Les, Jerry & Henry for looking out for her especially in her latter years.
