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September 11, 2017
Services
Friends may gather with the family for Memorial Visitation at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Saturday, September 16, 2017 from 1-5 PM.
Alma Mary Polowichak of Wayne, age 92, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 11, 2017.
Alma was born and raised in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.
On the heels of her graduation from high school, the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor and soon after the country was fully engaged in World War II. So many men enlisting in the war effort left large shortfalls in the U.S. industrial labor force. Consequently, the government put out a campaign aimed at recruiting female workers to support the war effort from home. The symbol of this campaign was a fictitious character named “Rosie the Riveter”. Wanting to do her part to serve, Alma told her mother that she wanted to be a Rosie the Riveter at Pearl Harbor. Since she wasn’t eighteen yet, unfortunately she could not go. Soon after though she got to realize her dream, becoming a “Rosie” at the Air Force Base in Rome, NY. Her job was to lead a team of other women in the reparation of B-12 Bombers that were brought back to the United Sates after being wrecked while in battle overseas. As head mechanic, she knew every part number that made up that aircraft. She was also proud of the distinction of being one of the first persons to see the initial jet engines that the military was developing.
Alma grew up with a handsome young man named Nicholas Polowichak. Along with two other couples – Rene and Eileen, and Alice and George, this group of six were faithful friends since youth. For Alma and Nick youthful friendship grew to a loving marriage ceremony on Tuesday, August 9, 1949 in Manhattan at St. Stephen’s Church on 28th Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenues. They enjoyed 41 years together as man and wife until Nick’s passing in 1990.
After getting married, Alma and Nick continued to live in New York City until 1966 when they moved to Glen Cove, Long Island. There they raised their two daughters, Susan and Nancy, and two sons, Steven and Mark. Alma remained there for 50 years before moving to Wayne near her daughter Nancy in 2016.
Alma was a dedicated mother and homemaker who poured herself into her children’s activities as they grew up. While her daughters were in Masquers Theater in high school, Alma thought nothing of showing up at the school theater with a home cooked meal of spaghetti and meatballs and bread and salad for her daughters and all their friends. She also made it her business to faithfully attend all of her son Mark’s sporting events. She loved exposing the kids to learning experiences and consequently, they basically got to have any pet they wanted. While there were the standard pets like cats and dogs, the family was also graced with frogs, toads, turtles, a duck named Daffy and a rooster named Sgt Eggbert, which turned out to be a bit of a noisy mistake. The family also raised schnauzers, having six of their own. For one brief time, they had upwards of twenty-one schnauzers in the house. Alma loved all creatures, even lady bugs and praying mantis. To many, her nickname was “Lady Bug” and she found the praying mantis to be a wonderful advocate in her garden for warding off other plant-destroying bugs. She believed this so much, she would even buy praying mantis egg sacks and give them to friends to release in their yards for bug control.
Alma loved working on crossword puzzles. While watching two of her favorite shows – Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy - she would become noticeably upset if a female contestant was beaten by a male contestant, feeling that that women needed to prove they were just as smart as men. Lately, she enjoyed watching Judge Judy at 4:00 PM and would do her best to avoid having her caregivers attend to her while the show was on.
Alma was a dearly-loved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who will be missed by all who knew her.
Alma is survived by her three dear children: Susan Polowichak of New York, NY, Nancy and husband William Azzolini of Wayne, and Mark Polowichak of Greensburg, PA; her five cherished grandchildren: Daniel and life partner Sarah, Christopher and wife Ashley, Patrick, Ashley, and Amy; four adored great-grandchildren: Jessica, Olivia, Damien, and Makenzie; and dear sisters: Dorothy Masters and Enid Valora, both of Utah. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Nicholas in 1990, her first born son Steven and her dear brother Al Rick.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may gather with the family for Memorial Visitation at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Saturday, September 16, 2017 from 1-5 PM.
September 11, 2017
Services
Friends may gather with the family for Memorial Visitation at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Saturday, September 16, 2017 from 1-5 PM.
Alma Mary Polowichak of Wayne, age 92, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 11, 2017.
Alma was born and raised in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.
On the heels of her graduation from high school, the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor and soon after the country was fully engaged in World War II. So many men enlisting in the war effort left large shortfalls in the U.S. industrial labor force. Consequently, the government put out a campaign aimed at recruiting female workers to support the war effort from home. The symbol of this campaign was a fictitious character named “Rosie the Riveter”. Wanting to do her part to serve, Alma told her mother that she wanted to be a Rosie the Riveter at Pearl Harbor. Since she wasn’t eighteen yet, unfortunately she could not go. Soon after though she got to realize her dream, becoming a “Rosie” at the Air Force Base in Rome, NY. Her job was to lead a team of other women in the reparation of B-12 Bombers that were brought back to the United Sates after being wrecked while in battle overseas. As head mechanic, she knew every part number that made up that aircraft. She was also proud of the distinction of being one of the first persons to see the initial jet engines that the military was developing.
Alma grew up with a handsome young man named Nicholas Polowichak. Along with two other couples – Rene and Eileen, and Alice and George, this group of six were faithful friends since youth. For Alma and Nick youthful friendship grew to a loving marriage ceremony on Tuesday, August 9, 1949 in Manhattan at St. Stephen’s Church on 28th Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenues. They enjoyed 41 years together as man and wife until Nick’s passing in 1990.
After getting married, Alma and Nick continued to live in New York City until 1966 when they moved to Glen Cove, Long Island. There they raised their two daughters, Susan and Nancy, and two sons, Steven and Mark. Alma remained there for 50 years before moving to Wayne near her daughter Nancy in 2016.
Alma was a dedicated mother and homemaker who poured herself into her children’s activities as they grew up. While her daughters were in Masquers Theater in high school, Alma thought nothing of showing up at the school theater with a home cooked meal of spaghetti and meatballs and bread and salad for her daughters and all their friends. She also made it her business to faithfully attend all of her son Mark’s sporting events. She loved exposing the kids to learning experiences and consequently, they basically got to have any pet they wanted. While there were the standard pets like cats and dogs, the family was also graced with frogs, toads, turtles, a duck named Daffy and a rooster named Sgt Eggbert, which turned out to be a bit of a noisy mistake. The family also raised schnauzers, having six of their own. For one brief time, they had upwards of twenty-one schnauzers in the house. Alma loved all creatures, even lady bugs and praying mantis. To many, her nickname was “Lady Bug” and she found the praying mantis to be a wonderful advocate in her garden for warding off other plant-destroying bugs. She believed this so much, she would even buy praying mantis egg sacks and give them to friends to release in their yards for bug control.
Alma loved working on crossword puzzles. While watching two of her favorite shows – Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy - she would become noticeably upset if a female contestant was beaten by a male contestant, feeling that that women needed to prove they were just as smart as men. Lately, she enjoyed watching Judge Judy at 4:00 PM and would do her best to avoid having her caregivers attend to her while the show was on.
Alma was a dearly-loved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who will be missed by all who knew her.
Alma is survived by her three dear children: Susan Polowichak of New York, NY, Nancy and husband William Azzolini of Wayne, and Mark Polowichak of Greensburg, PA; her five cherished grandchildren: Daniel and life partner Sarah, Christopher and wife Ashley, Patrick, Ashley, and Amy; four adored great-grandchildren: Jessica, Olivia, Damien, and Makenzie; and dear sisters: Dorothy Masters and Enid Valora, both of Utah. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Nicholas in 1990, her first born son Steven and her dear brother Al Rick.
Guestbook
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