WESTFIELD – Veronica “Ronnie” B. (Kielbasa) Jez was surrounded by the comfort and love of her family when she passed into Eternal Life on February 24, 2012 at Noble Hospital after a short illness. She was born on December 4, 1927 to the late John and Tekla (Starzyk) Kielbasa.Ronnie was a graduate of Westfield High School and a life-long communicant of Holy Trinity Church. As a young woman she worked on the family farm and in human resources at the American Bosch. While her children were attending Holy Trinity School, Ronnie was president of the PTO and involved in her children’s many activities. Ronnie retired from Digital Equipment Corporation and up until her death, enjoyed meeting her “breakfast group” at the Cafe Santorini. A woman of God, Veronica spent 25 years cooking and volunteering for the Westfield Soup Kitchen. She was an active member of the Holy Trinity Rosary Sodality. She belonged to a weekly prayer group with whom she completed two pilgrimages to Medugorje, Bosnia. She also helped organize countless numbers of fundraisers and events to benefit her church.
Her family will remember her as a loving mother and nurturing grandmother, a loyal Red Sox fan, a person of great strength of character, a good sense of humor, an incredible capacity for forgiveness, and an absolute love for life. In 2004, Veronica’s heart was broken when her son, Carl S. Jez died in a car accident. Her family takes comfort in knowing that Carl has greeted his mom at the gates of heaven along with those that predeceased her to include her sisters, Genevieve Wykowski and Sister M. Viventia; her brothers, Stanley Kielbasa, Joseph Kielbasa and Matthew Kielbasa; her nephews, Stanley Kielbasa, John Kielbasa and Daniel Kielbasa; and her sister and brother-in-laws, Edward Jez, Sister Archangel, Stella Gregorkski, Stephen Jyz, and Anna Labuda. Veronica was a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She leaves her adoring husband of nearly 60 years, Stanley M. Jez, her daughter and son-in-law, Christine and Michael Soverow, her son and daughter-in-law, David and Debra Jez, her grandchildren Sheila and Samantha Jez, Michele and Nathan Soverow, and Danielle, Alex and Lucas Jez and their mother Mary Herzog. She leaves one brother, Chester Kielbasa of Ludlow and two sisters-in-law, Jane Kielbasa of Westfield and Angela Jaskolka of Indian Orchard. Veronica will be missed by her many Godchildren, nieces, nephews, and friends.
The funeral for Veronica will be held on Friday at 9:00 a.m. from the Firtion-Adams Funeral Service, 76 Broad Street, Westfield followed by a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. in Holy Trinity Church. Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery. Calling hours will be held on Thursday at the funeral home from 4:00-7:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Ronnie may be made to Holy Trinity Church Improvement Fund, 335 Elm Street, Westfield, MA 01085, or the Shriner’s Hospital for Children, Springfield, 516 Carew Street, Springfield, MA 01104.
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