Olga Olesiuk Weinack, the youngest and last surviving child of Polish immigrants, passed away peacefully on May 19, 2025 at age 100 on the family farm in South Hadley. Except for a year during graduate school, Olga lived her entire life on the farm. Olga attended local schools, including South Hadley High School, before furthering her education “down the street” at Mount Holyoke College, class of 1947. She obtained her Master’s Degree in biology at the University of Michigan. She returned home and worked for over thirty years as a professor at the University of Massachusetts in the field of poultry research. While she was accomplished in the academic arena, her heart and soul never strayed far from the farm. Surviving through droughts and floods, for one hundred years the Olesiuk Family Farm has been a mainstay providing eggs, milk (in years past) and produce (none finer) to the valley community. Despite many offers to sell the farm and retire to a life of leisure, Olga never seriously considered any other way of life but that to which she was born. In this way, Olga kept alive the tradition started by her parents and continued by her brothers and husband before and alongside her. Indeed, Olga was instrumental in sowing the crops for this year’s—the farm’s 101st—harvest. Although Olga did not have children of her own, she took immense pride in her niece and nephews and their children and grandchildren. She was especially supportive of the academic pursuits and achievements of her cherished extended family.  

Olga was preceded in death by her parents, John and Bertha, as well as her four brothers: Joseph, John, Metsie, and Steven. She was also predeceased by her beloved husband, John Weinack, and her nephew, Steve Olesiak.  She is survived by niece and nephews Karen Couture and John, Daniel, Steven, and William Olesiuk. She is also survived by great nieces and nephews in whom she took much pride: Joshua and William Joseph Olesiuk, Sarah and Kelly Olesiuk, Connie and Julie Couture. Olga was a long-time parishioner at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church.  Finally, Olga is survived by numerous friends, workers, caregivers, and customers who have been faithful visitors to the farm over the years, many of whom celebrated Olga’s 100th birthday with her on the farm earlier this year.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 27th from 3-5pm with a closing catholic service to begin at 5pm. A graveside service will be held the following morning at 10am in Mater Dolorosa Cemetery. Please meet directly at the cemetery.