Obituary of Marion W. Guzda

Marion Wujcik Guzda, 94,born and raised in Stamford, CT, died December 19, 2020 at Community Medical Center in Toms River, NJ of corona virus. Strong, intelligent and a loving grandmother, Marion was the last of a large Polish-American family. She survived all her many siblings, the eldest who was born 30 years before her and including her twin sister who died at two months. She had many nieces and nephews even as she was born, with whom she remained close for the rest of her life. Her parents emigrated from Poland. Her mother, Mary Serafin, came alone at age 10 via Rotterdam, spoke five languages and worked in the mills in Chicopee Falls, MA. Her father, John Wujcik, was a gardener. Friends arranged for Mary to marry John, and they met at the altar. Through thrift and hard work during the Great Depression, they bought a house on Myrtle Avenue and eventually other properties around The Cove and Cummings Park. Marion was the last in the family to be born and to die. Two siblings were struck by lightning, another succumbed to pneumonia. Marion met her future husband, Henry Guzda, in kindergarten at Holy Name parish in Stamford. Like her, he was a twin. She graduated from Nursing School in 1945, and they married a year later, after Henry returned from serving in the Navy during World War II. They started their life together in her parents’ home on Myrtle Avenue in Stamford, shared with siblings and extended family, before settling in New Jersey after brief stints in California and Ohio. She worked for the state of New Jersey for 25 years at the now-defunct Marlboro State Hospital, her desk adorned with family photos and plants. She was gifted with greenery, meticulous with finances, and could recall detailed memories with little trouble. In each birthday card she sent, she included one dollar for each year of the loved one’s age. They eventually settled in Crestwood Village, NJ, where they enjoyed dear friends and neighbors. She was predeceased by her husband of 59 years, Henry “Hank” Guzda, who died in 2005; and her first born, Henry “Hank” Guzda, who died in 2008 in Burke, VA. She is survived by her daughters, Jacqueline Guzda of City Island, NY and Kathleen Guzda Struck of Washington, D.C., and son, Matthew Guzda, who cared for her in her final years. She is also survived by Laima Ciguzis Guzda, Wife of Henry and devoted daughter-in-law who considered Marion a second mother; and two grandchildren whom she adored, Jack Henry Struck of Washington, D.C., and Julianna Simone Struck, of Boston. Because of COVID, she died alone at Community Medical Center in Toms River, NJ, after several agonizing days, with caring and skilled medical staff attending to her. She will be buried next to her husband at the Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Wrightstown, NJ. There will be no gathering or Mass until the pandemic is over. In lieu of flowers, please wear a mask, wash your hands, cover your mouth, stay home, get vaccinated and be kind to others. In respect for the greatest Generation, who are the largest group of victims of this virus, please try.