Obituary of Leona Przybylski
Leonarda (Wawruch) Przybylski, 103, died Tuesday (Feb. 27, 2024) at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, Somerville, NJ. She was a long-time resident of Piscataway, including living in Sterling Village for the past 30 years. Also known as Leona, she would have celebrated her 104th birthday on March 10.
She was born in Poland in 1920 to Stanislaw and Anastasia (Gol) Wawruch. Leonarda lived in Poland until shortly after World War II started. In February 1940, the family, with thousands of others, was taken by Russian soldiers to labor camps in Siberia.
Eventually, they were released, with many joining the Polish Army and the others, mostly women and children, making their way south through Turkey, Iran and India.
Mexico had agreed to take Polish refugees and Leonarda and her sister, Janina Wlodarczyk, along with others crossed the Pacific Ocean by ship. They lived for three years at the Santa Rosa Camp near Leon, before finding an uncle in the United States who sponsored them. They entered the United States in 1946 and settled in Bound Brook where both found work in sewing factories.
She lived with her then-husband, Richard Przybylski, on Second Street in Bound Brook for several years before moving to Piscataway.
She was a communicant of St. Mary of Czestochowa Church of Bound Brook for more than 75 years.
Surviving are her three sons, all of Piscataway: George Przybylski, Thaddeus (Beverly) Przybylski and Thomas (Laura) Przybylski; grandchildren, George Jr.; Kimberly, Julian, David, Rebecca; Brian and Morgan; and great-grandchildren Nycole, Mia and Ava. She also is survived by her niece, Susan (Wlodarczyk) Hoogsteden of High Bridge.
Visitation will be Monday, March 4, 2024 between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. at Piscataway Funeral Home, 18 Stelton Road, Piscataway. A funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. at St. Mary of Czestochowa Church, Bound Brook, with entombment following at 11:45 a.m. at Resurrection Cemetery, Piscataway.