Marie Hordyszynski

Marie Hordyszynski (nee Opiela), age 82 of Wayne, died on Thursday, April 22, 2021. She has lived in Wayne since 1971.

Marie grew up in Manhattan, on the lower east side. Her family were members of the St. George Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church on East 7th Street, where she sang in the choir. It was here that she met Dann Hordyszynski, who also sang in the church choir. Dann mustered the courage to ask her out on a date, and they went for a stroll through Washington Square Park. This became one of their favorite places to go while dating, and their romance flourished. Dann recalls that Marie’s hands were always cold, so she would often slip her hand into his pocket for warmth. On one special occasion, he had a ring in his pocket and when she put her hand in looking for warmth, she was very surprised to discover the ring! Her answer was, of course, “yes!”  They were married at St. George‘s church on September 23, 1962 and honeymooned in the Adirondacks. They settled into their home in Jackson Heights, Queens, and began raising their family. During their fifty-eight years of marriage, they enjoyed traveling all over the United States. They embarked on many ‘canyon’ vacations, visiting the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and many others throughout the western states. They also visited the Caribbean on several cruises, and they made more than a few trips to Disney World. The story of how they ended up living in Wayne is interesting itself. Marie was visiting her parents at their lake house in Sussex County and on her way back home, she was detoured through Wayne. She loved the town and just happened to see a sign that said “lot for sale” as she was passing through. Within weeks, they purchased the lot and began working with a builder to construct their home. She was very excited to move into their new home in 1971. Marie and Dann have enjoyed many pleasant years there with their family, and they will all miss her dearly.

Marie was also a very talented seamstress. Over the years, she made numerous outfits for her kids, including ice skating competition dresses for her daughter, wedding dresses, and costumes. She was also a fantastic cook who enjoyed making American foods, but she also made delicious Pierogis and Ukrainian food as well! In addition, she enjoyed taking Jazzercise classes and spending time with her Jazzercise friends.

Marie is survived by her beloved husband, Dann of Wayne, three children; Mark of Hawaii, Rick and his wife Michele of Fleetwood, PA, and Dana Hordyszynski of Wayne, and two grandsons; Kyle and Ryan Hordyszynski of West Virginia. She was predeceased by her brother, Steven Opiela of Shoreham, NY, in 2018.

Friends wishing to make a donation in Marie’s memory are asked to please consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and send to; Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959, or donate online at www.stjude.org.