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Pauline Geraldine Surovich - 1912-2006
My mother was kind enough to post this as a comment to my livejournal, but I thought I'd add it up front for folks to see.
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PAULINE FIALA
August 7,1912 – January 5, 2007
Born Pauline Geraldine Surovich on August 7, 1912, in Bellaire, Ohio, she was the only daughter of Mary Bakarac and Paul Surovich. She lived most of her life in Tarrytown, New York.
Pauline cared for her youngest daughter, Susan Marie, who was born with Cerebral Palsy in 1954. Susan was severely handicapped and could not eat, talk or move. Pauline was advised to place Susan in a nursing home but she wanted to ensure Susan’s good care by providing it herself. Because of her Mother’s love and care Susan lived for 42 years at home. With the back seat area of the car made into a bed or in a recreational vehicle Susan accompanied her Mother on trips for shopping, visiting and as far away as Florida. Pauline’s husband, John, made a reclining chair on wheels that enabled Susan to be moved around the house. Since this chair could be carried on trips, Pauline was able to care for Susan when traveling.
When Pauline was three years old her Mother died and her Father sent her to live with her Mother’s family (Bakarac) in Kuchyna, Slovakia. She lived the life of a barefoot country farm girl until the age of 11 when she returned to the United States to again learn to speak English. After Pauline’s mother died, her father married Mary Kopal. For Pauline this union resulted in a brother, Paul, and two sisters, Mary and Rose Marie.
She met her future husband, John Fiala, while living in North Tarrytown by asking him to give her driving lessons. They were married in 1934 at Holy Cross Church and soon moved to 50 Wildey Street in Tarrytown. With a family, they later built a house and moved to Highland Avenue in Philips Manor. Then they moved to a remodeled home on Maple Street. In 2000 Pauline moved to the Glen Meadows retirement community in Maryland to be near her son and his family.
For many years Pauline managed the Dining Room at the Fenway Golf Club in Scarsdale. Although never graduating from high school, she learned food service on-the-job starting as a waitress in Schrafts Restaurant and finishing as the Fenway manager. At the end of the evening meal at Fenway, Pauline could recall what each diner had ordered! Friends and relatives worked with Pauline in the dinning room at Fenway.
Pauline was a member of the SOKOL Ladies Lodge 42 and enjoyed participating on the bowling team and the needlecraft group. She also enjoyed meeting with her friends in the “Busy Bees” knitting group.
Pauline enjoyed traveling. In addition to driving to up-state New York to visit her sister, Rose Marie, to Maryland to see her son’s family and to Florida, she went to Hawaii, Los Vegas and on other trips with the North Tarrytown Seniors. She visited Ireland with her son and his wife when she was 84.
Pauline Surovich and John Fiala were married for 41 years before he died in 1975 and had two other children, John Paul Fiala and Geraldine Garafolo. Geraldine died in 1974 and Susan Marie died in 1996.
Survivors include son, John Paul Fiala and his wife, Susan, of Forest Hill, Maryland, three grandchildren; John C. Fiala of Denver, Colorado, William P. Fiala of Los Angeles, California and James Garafolo of Baltimore, Maryland and sister Rose Marie Rodal of Croton, New York.
Services will be at Holy Cross Church in Tarrytown, N.Y. on Thursday, January 11,at 10:00 a.m. and at Fallston Presbyterian Church in Fallston, MD on Saturday, January 13, at 11:00 a.m.
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My grandmother had a long and interesting life. Happily enough, on my last trip out east for Otakon, I was able to attend her 93rd birthday party. God bless her.
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PAULINE FIALA
August 7,1912 – January 5, 2007
Born Pauline Geraldine Surovich on August 7, 1912, in Bellaire, Ohio, she was the only daughter of Mary Bakarac and Paul Surovich. She lived most of her life in Tarrytown, New York.
Pauline cared for her youngest daughter, Susan Marie, who was born with Cerebral Palsy in 1954. Susan was severely handicapped and could not eat, talk or move. Pauline was advised to place Susan in a nursing home but she wanted to ensure Susan’s good care by providing it herself. Because of her Mother’s love and care Susan lived for 42 years at home. With the back seat area of the car made into a bed or in a recreational vehicle Susan accompanied her Mother on trips for shopping, visiting and as far away as Florida. Pauline’s husband, John, made a reclining chair on wheels that enabled Susan to be moved around the house. Since this chair could be carried on trips, Pauline was able to care for Susan when traveling.
When Pauline was three years old her Mother died and her Father sent her to live with her Mother’s family (Bakarac) in Kuchyna, Slovakia. She lived the life of a barefoot country farm girl until the age of 11 when she returned to the United States to again learn to speak English. After Pauline’s mother died, her father married Mary Kopal. For Pauline this union resulted in a brother, Paul, and two sisters, Mary and Rose Marie.
She met her future husband, John Fiala, while living in North Tarrytown by asking him to give her driving lessons. They were married in 1934 at Holy Cross Church and soon moved to 50 Wildey Street in Tarrytown. With a family, they later built a house and moved to Highland Avenue in Philips Manor. Then they moved to a remodeled home on Maple Street. In 2000 Pauline moved to the Glen Meadows retirement community in Maryland to be near her son and his family.
For many years Pauline managed the Dining Room at the Fenway Golf Club in Scarsdale. Although never graduating from high school, she learned food service on-the-job starting as a waitress in Schrafts Restaurant and finishing as the Fenway manager. At the end of the evening meal at Fenway, Pauline could recall what each diner had ordered! Friends and relatives worked with Pauline in the dinning room at Fenway.
Pauline was a member of the SOKOL Ladies Lodge 42 and enjoyed participating on the bowling team and the needlecraft group. She also enjoyed meeting with her friends in the “Busy Bees” knitting group.
Pauline enjoyed traveling. In addition to driving to up-state New York to visit her sister, Rose Marie, to Maryland to see her son’s family and to Florida, she went to Hawaii, Los Vegas and on other trips with the North Tarrytown Seniors. She visited Ireland with her son and his wife when she was 84.
Pauline Surovich and John Fiala were married for 41 years before he died in 1975 and had two other children, John Paul Fiala and Geraldine Garafolo. Geraldine died in 1974 and Susan Marie died in 1996.
Survivors include son, John Paul Fiala and his wife, Susan, of Forest Hill, Maryland, three grandchildren; John C. Fiala of Denver, Colorado, William P. Fiala of Los Angeles, California and James Garafolo of Baltimore, Maryland and sister Rose Marie Rodal of Croton, New York.
Services will be at Holy Cross Church in Tarrytown, N.Y. on Thursday, January 11,at 10:00 a.m. and at Fallston Presbyterian Church in Fallston, MD on Saturday, January 13, at 11:00 a.m.
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My grandmother had a long and interesting life. Happily enough, on my last trip out east for Otakon, I was able to attend her 93rd birthday party. God bless her.