Halina S. Filipowicz, 86, an area resident since 2001 and formerly of Union, NJ, died peacefully on December 7, 2017 at her home.
Born in Poland on January 10, 1931, she was the daughter of Edmund and Genowefa Protas Macur. Halina was a survivor of the Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany during WW2. She later emigrated to the United States and became a proud, extremely patriotic Legal Immigrant and proud naturalized American citizen who later regained her Polish citizenship after the handover of the Polish Government in exile to the new government headed by Lech Walesa after the fall of the Soviet Union.
She had worked in the credit department at Macy’s in Newark, prior to raising her two daughters – one an engineer and the other an attorney and recently worked locally at the Hopewell Antique Center for more than 10 years.
Halina was recently a parishioner of St. Joseph’s Church in Poughkeepsie and previously at St. Casimir’s Church in Newark, NJ. She was a founding member of multiple organizations including: the Polish Cultural Foundation in Clark, NJ. ; the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, PA.; and along with her husband Artur, a member of the Polish Airforce Veterans Association and Semper Fidelis, the Polish American Congress based in New Jersey .
She was extremely patriotic and loved being an America citizen, always leading the opening of Polish American events with our National Anthem, at multiple venues including the New Jersey Garden State Arts Center. In addition to enjoying singing, she also had a special love for reciting poetry.
On November 28, 1959 at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Manville, Halina married Artur M. Filipowicz who predeceased her on March 27, 2013. She is survived by her daughters, Dana Y. Filipowicz-Bortz and her husband Arthur J. Bortz, and Arlena B. Filipowicz; her granddaughter, Diana Elise Bortz; and her sister-in-law, Leokadia Macur and brother-in-law Chesiek Olejniczak. She was predeceased by her siblings, Wilhelm, Irena, Janina and Zbigniew.
Calling hours will be held on Wednesday from 4-7pm at the McHoul Funeral Home, Inc., 895 Route 82, Hopewell Junction. The Funeral Mass and Burial will be offered on Thursday at 11am at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, PA.
Memorial donations may be made to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, or Semper Fidilis Polish American Congress, 410 Summit Ave., Perth Amboy, NJ 08861. Please visit Halina’s Book of Memories at www.mchoulfuneralhome.com.