Olga Malinowski

Olga Malinowski, age 94, passed away peacefully in hospice care at Villa Manor Care Center, Lakewood, Colorado on Thursday, August 1, 2024. Olga was a loving wife (John 1918-2002), sister, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, John, her parents Alex and Caroline Stoyko, and brother Henry Stoyko of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She is survived by her brother Lawrence Stoyko (Hazel) of Winnipeg; her 4 children: Marion Malinowski (late Robert Higgins), Lawrence Malinowski (Debra), Michael Malinowski (Anne), and Carolyn Senger (Steve); her grandsons: Brian Higgins (Renee), Mark Malinowski (Natalie), Matthew Malinowski (Jessica), August and Stuart Senger, and step-grandsons Jared (Amber) and Jamen (Melissa) Behr; great-grandchildren: Contessa and Violet Higgins, and Katerina and Avery Behr; nephews Peter and David Stoyko, niece Catherine Shorey, their spouses and families.

Olga was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to Polish/Ukrainian immigrants, Alex and Caroline Stoyko. She was the oldest, with two younger brothers, Henry and Lawrence. Olga learned to knit at age 7, a skill she perfected and continued until June of this year. She also learned to crochet, sew, embroider, and cook. Her pierogis were always exceptional. Olga did very well in school and qualified to attend university – but she would not put that financial burden on her parents. Upon completing high school, she worked as a secretary and stenographer.

Olga’s father, Alex, had become good friends with a gentleman named Marcel Malinowski while both were working in Canadian lumber camps. In 1950, Marcel, now living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, sponsored his nephew, John, to come to the U.S. from Scotland where John had settled after his WWII duties with the Polish Army in Exile attached to the British forces. In June of 1951, for her 21st birthday, Olga was invited to Milwaukee for a vacation. She and John spent a week visiting and sightseeing and then Olga returned to Canada. A few weeks later, they began corresponding by letters and phone calls. It was through that correspondence that John proposed to Olga. On November 2, 1951, Olga and all her belongings arrived in Milwaukee. They were married on November 24, 1951 at St. Adalbert’s Church. There were 21 people at the wedding, including Olga’s parents and brothers.

John worked at Hevi-Duty Electric for several years, then went to work for Milwaukee County until his retirement 23 years later.

Marion was born in November of 1952 and was 2 years old when John and Olga moved into the duplex they purchased on Warnimont Avenue, a quarter acre property in Bay View that included a very large garden space and many fruit trees. Here, Olga developed her canning and jam making skills, as well as her freezing skills of abundant vegetables grown in the garden.

These resources helped feed their eventual family of four children. Lawrence was born in September of 1955 and Michael came along in November of 1956. Olga went to work part-time at the First Wisconsin Bank in 1964 until Carolyn was born in November of 1969. While the kids were in their elementary school years, Olga was busy with the PTA. She also volunteered as an election poll worker, a job she did for more than 50 years in Wisconsin, New Mexico and back to Wisconsin.

In 1962, all the kids went to learn Polish dancing at the Polish National Alliance Hall every Friday evening. There Olga and Irene Zietara met and became dear friends for 32 years until Irene’s passing in 1994. Irene and Leon’s daughter, Nina, was Marion’s age and their son, Tim, was Michael’s age. The friendship led to the families sharing many holiday meals, family milestone celebrations, vacations, and trips to nearby Lake Denoon most summer Saturdays. Olga and John’s neighbors, Sue and Wally Mikolajczak, together with Irene and Leon made up 3 couples who loved to play cards or go dancing at the Moose Hall. After Irene’s passing, Olga continued to keep in touch with daughter Nina and her family.

After completing her geology degree at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1974, Marion went on to graduate school at the University of Hawaii. Olga and Sue came out to visit her and sightsee with her in 1975, and Olga came again in 1976 for more island adventures.

In June of 1980, Michael and Anne got married and 5 weeks later in July, Marion and Bob (living in Washington, D.C.) got married. In 1981, Marion and Bob relocated to Albuquerque, N.M. for their jobs. When John retired in 1981 for health reasons, he and Olga and Carolyn joined them in Albuquerque. They enjoyed the climate there, making new friends and entertaining friends and relatives visiting the Southwest. Olga took many classes at the University of New Mexico titled: “The Story of New Mexico” and also took quilting classes. She sewed at least 130 quilts of all sizes between 1982 and 2017. Carolyn graduated from the University of New Mexico in 1992 with a business degree.

Grandsons began arriving: Brian Higgins was born in 1984 in Albuquerque, but two weeks later he and his parents relocated to Lakewood, Colorado; Mark Malinowski was born in 1987 and his brother Matthew in 1989 in Wisconsin. Lawrence and Debbie married in 1989 and her sons Jared and Jamen joined the family.

To be closer to family, John and Olga returned to Wisconsin in 2000. They found a condo in New Berlin in the same complex as Carolyn; Mike and Anne and boys lived nearby in Muskego; Lawrence and Debbie lived 5 hours away in Prentice. They made many new friends in their community.

In November, 2001, John and Olga celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a grand dinner and program put on by their 4 children. Family and friends came from Canada to help them celebrate.

Sadly, John unexpectedly passed away in March of 2002. Olga continued to enjoy condo life, playing cards, taking daily walks, and attending church with her friends and neighbors. Carolyn and Mike and Anne were nearby. She traveled to Prentice to help Lawrence and Debbie with their greenhouse. She traveled to Canada to visit family and friends. In 2005, Marion’s orchestra toured England and Wales. She and Bob invited Olga along to celebrate her 75th birthday. She enjoyed the sights and activities, often out-walking the youngsters in the entourage. After the orchestra tour, the 3 stayed on for an extra tour of northern England and Scotland, walking the same streets in Edinburgh as John had done so many years before.

In November of 2004, Carolyn married Steve Senger. After a couple years in Wisconsin, the couple moved to Lafayette, Indiana. Grandson August Senger was born there in 2010. Olga traveled there by train often to visit. The three Sengers relocated to Golden, Colorado in 2013, just 15 minutes away from Marion and Bob in Lakewood. Grandson Stuart Senger was born in November of 2014. In 2016, Olga came to live with the four Sengers to help supervise young Stuart while Carolyn worked from home. In September, 2019, Olga moved in with Marion and Bob. After Bob’s passing in 2022, Olga remained living there in Marion’s care. She continued knitting and enjoyed her great-granddaughters, Tessa (b. December 2019) and Violet (b. February 2024). Olga enjoyed attending Marion’s orchestra concerts and August’s school band concerts. She kept in touch with all her friends by phone and letters, including her childhood friend, Lillian Hough in Winnipeg.

Olga will be dearly missed. Over her lifetime she was always kind, generous, encouraging and friendly – she made all feel welcome. She was resilient and selfless. Her parental wisdom was extraordinary. Olga was happy to share and/or teach her talents. If you suffered from cold feet, she would knit you slippers whether you were a new acquaintance or a family member. She knit more than a dozen hat and scarf sets for the holiday senior program at church. She was always available to help her children with new baby arrivals or recoveries after medical procedures.

A Mass in celebration of Olga’s life will be held on September 26, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at Christ on the Mountain Catholic Church, 13922 W. Utah Avenue in Lakewood, CO. A luncheon in the church hall will follow. Olga will be interred in Wisconsin Memorial Park where she will be laid to rest with her husband, John Malinowski.