Obituary of Jadwiga Zak

Jadwiga Zak, 93, of Peabody died on Friday, February 19, 2021. She was the loving wife of the late Stefan Zak. The daughter of the late Jan and Maria (Walczak) Belzko, Jadwiga was born in the village of Skurcze, Poland on July 18, 1927. Her youth on the family farm was abruptly interrupted when she and her family became deportees of World War II, traveling throughout Siberia, the Soviet Republics of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, Persia and India. After the war, she settled in England where she married her husband of 63 years and had a daughter, Stefania. She and her family finally emigrated to the United States where her twin sons, Rychard and Robert were born. During her life in America, she augmented the family income by working production at the Sylvania Hytron plant in Danvers, taking in tailoring at home, and being employed as domestic help. Jadwiga was a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother offering her support to both family and friends. She was an expert seamstress, having learned her craft during her family’s exile during the war years. She was a master of cooking ethnic Polish food. Jadwiga leaves behind her daughter Stefania and her husband Harvey Ing of West Newbury, her son Rychard and his wife Natalie Plaskonos of Lexington, and her son Robert and his wife Theresa Zak of Westford; eight grandchildren: Caroline Leahy and her husband Kevin, Kasia Valentino and her husband Nick, Adam Zak and his wife Lydia, Alexander Ing, Kevin Ing, Jason Ing, Laryssa Zak, and Matthew Zak; and four great grandchildren: Zak and Kit Leahy, Clara and Oliver Valentino; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her siblings Stanislaw Belzko, Leokadia Ponka, Oleksander Belzko, Czeslawa Szeliga, and Adam Belzko.