Obituary of Anna Barbara Kuzniak

It is with profound sadness that the Kuzniak family announces the passing of beloved wife and mother Anna Kuzniak, who passed away Sunday December 15th at the age of 65 after a brief hard-fought battle with cancer. Anna was surrounded by loved ones at the time of passing. The grief of her passing is felt deeply by all who knew her and her absence will be acutely felt by family and friends. Anna is survived by her loving husband Henry and devoted children Evelynne and Lucas.

Anna was born in Białystok, Poland, where she lived with her mother Kristina, and father Victor. In Poland, she spent her summers and holidays at the family cottage by the forest in the village of Horodnianka. As a single child she grew very close to her beloved cousins, Tadeusz and Ania. She loved her classmates and had a wonderful friend group which she brought together through many school reunions. Anna visited Poland often and she raised her children with the love of foraging and Polish culture. Ensuring all the beautiful vacation spots were visited during the summer months. Her favorite vacation spots in Poland included Sopot, Gdańsk, the Masurian lake district, and the Karpaty and Tatra Mountains.

In her early 20’s she had taken on the task of finding a better life for herself in Canada. She worked towards immigration, spending a year in Vienna eating mostly vast amounts of popcorn and working odd jobs to escape communist Poland. Upon arrival in Canada, her family in Kingston, Ontario received her with open arms. But Kingston wasn't enough. She needed to go to the big city. While in Toronto, Anna was a loving nanny to several young children. One day when she saw an advertisement in the classified section of the newspaper for a translator, little did she know she would fall in love with the man who posted it. As if from a hallmark movie, Anna and Henry met in 1982. They married at Scarborough city hall and began life together on West Burton Court in Scarborough. They welcomed Evelynne in 1987 and had great help from Zbyszek, a dear family friend who was like a brother. Shortly after they moved to Ajax and welcomed Lucas in 1994. The Kuzniak family was complete. They happily reunited with fellow Canadian Kuzniaks Richard, Henry’s brother, Sandy, Richard’s wife, and their two children, Sean and Russell.

Anna had an artist’s spirit and was extremely talented and creative. She created countless works, infusing her paintings with her heart’s vibrancy. Executing each with practiced excellence as she breathed life into the canvas. She was a creator through and through and her talent applied to many mediums. Food, fabric, paint and beyond she spun beauty out of raw materials. An intrepid traveler, Anna explored the food, art, culture and rhythm of this world. Hungry for knowledge she immersed herself; gaining a deep understanding of the places she would visit. England, Scotland, Wales, Lithuania, Switzerland, Dubai and Cyprus. Where she took to challenging chefs at establishments making sure the food had enough “spices”.

Anna was perhaps most at peace surrounded by nature. The trees, flowers and animals of the forest brought her great happiness. She was particularly joyful when foraging for wild edible plants. Wild berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, and mushrooms such as slippery jacks, king bolete, and chanterelles would send her into a frenzy looking for more! She had a vast amount of foraging knowledge that stretched back multiple generations connecting her to her ancestors and connecting her children to her through this sacred family ritual.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that you consider donating to the Canadian Cancer Society.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, December 21, 2024 at De Stefano Funeral Home,1289 Keith Ross Drive, Oshawa L1J 0C7 from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm. The Funeral Services will follow in the Funeral Home Chapel at 1:00 pm.

For those unable to attend in person, we invite you to view via Livestream by CLICKING HERE just prior to 1:00 pm on Saturday, December 21, 2024.