Kazimiera (Mendofik) Smierzchalska

SMIERZCHALSKA, Kazimiera (Mendofik). Of Dorchester, died peacefully on May 10, 2022, at the age of 95 years.

Beloved wife of the late Henryk Smierzchalski and adored mother of Lee Maria Duma and her husband Marek; Emily Manczuk and her husband Joseph; Edzia Codina and her husband Miguel; and her son Waldemar Smierzchalski.

She was preceded in death by her siblings, Zofia Gugala, Janina Stojanowska, Stanislaw Mendofik, and Edward Mendofik.

Cherished Babcia of Erica Stocks and her husband Keith; Renee Vigo and her husband Jeff; Jeffrey Manczuk; Thomas Duma and his wife Janine; Jordan Bartley and her fiance Jordan Bruno.

Dearest Prababcia to Izabella, Juliet, Jolene, and Franceszka.

Born in Kamionki Wielkie, Poland, to Jan and Katarzyna Mendofik on October 2, 1926, Kazimiera was the youngest of five children. On February 10, 1940, she and her family were forcibly deported by the Soviets on the pretense of sparing them from the atrocities of war. She spent the next six years living in an exile settlement in Siberia. When World War II ended, the family could not return to their home because of post-war border changes. They relocated to the western part of Poland and settled in Witnica where her sister was already living and later moved to Gorzów Wielkopolski.

In 1964, Kazimera, Henryk, and their children immigrated to the USA for a better life and settled in Dorchester's Polish Triangle.

Kazimiera was a trendy lady with old world values, which she instilled in her children and grandchildren, including Polish traditions and customs. She was a talented and creative seamstress who made clothes for her children, herself, and others including countless bridesmaid dresses and a beautiful wedding dress for her youngest daughter. She practiced this craft until the very end.

Kazimiera was a much loved figure in her Dorset Street neighborhood where she lived for over 52 years. She enjoyed sitting on her front porch and interacting with her neighbors, who considered her a great conversationalist and storyteller. She looked forward to her annual trips to California to visit her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Kazimiera loved to read, play cards with her daughters, cook (she was famous for her pierogi), and to tend her garden. Children and adults alike, loved picking raspberries in her backyard. She was blessed and thankful for her independence and self-sufficiency.

Family and friends will honor and remember Kazimiera's life by gathering for visiting hours in the Murphy Funeral Home, 1020 Dorchester Avenue, DORCHESTER, on Monday, May 16, 2022 from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.

Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated in Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, 655 Dorchester Avenue, South Boston, on Tuesday morning, May 17th at 10:00 A.M.

Burial will follow in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Dorchester.

In Kazimiera's memory or in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Diabetes Association. www.diabetes.org/donate.