Lillian (Pope) Wojtaszek

Lillian (Pope) Wojtaszek entered eternal life on Feb. 27, 2023, in her home in North Tonawanda surrounded by many loving family members. Lillian Mary Pope was born Oct. 7, 1929, to Italian immigrants, Enrico and Anna (D’Amico) Papi in Medina, New York. She was the fifth oldest in a family of seven children and spent her formative years during the Great Depression. She attended St. Mary’s Grade School and graduated from Medina High in 1947. Always the successful scholar, Lillian attended D’Youville College on a full Regents Scholarship, graduated with a B.A. in history in 1951 and was certified to teach. She worked for the Corps of Engineers in Buffalo and attended graduate school in the evening at Canisius College, where she met her husband, Thomas Wojtaszek. They were married in 1953 and became parents to twelve children over the next 15 years. Since 1956, she resided in North Tonawanda, where her generous spirit and hospitality earned her many friends. Lillian devoted herself to the role of mother. Known as a “baby magnet,” she delighted in caring for infants and toddlers. She spent many summer afternoons refereeing backyard kickball games for her older children and neighborhood kids while tending to an infant and toddlers at the same time. She was very involved in the Mother’s Club at St. Joseph’s School, where her homemade pizza was always a big hit at bake sales. She became a substitute teacher there after all her children were in school. Years later, providing childcare for her local grandchildren gave her the chance to enjoy caring for another generation of Wojtaszeks. Preceded in death by her beloved husband Tom, her parents, her siblings Angeline Porto, Onorina Pope, Boniface Pope, Antoinette Pope and Francis Pope, her siblings-in-law Arline Kusmierz, Tom Porto and Mary Pope, she is survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Anne Marie and Tom Rozek, her children Anne (Rich) Lee, Madonna (Jim Healy) Wojtaszek-Healy, Joan (Eric) Ludewig, Mary Kaufman (Keith Kofod), Thomas Wojtaszek, Jr., Pauline (Don) Wojtaszek-Evans, Antoinette (Paul Pearson) Wojtaszek, Henry (Caroline) Wojtaszek, Maureen (Matt) Leffler, Paul (Colleen) Wojtaszek, Kathleen (Tommy Gariano) Wojtaszek-Gariano and James (Ann DuHamel) Wojtaszek. She also is survived by her 25 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Visitation will be at Wattengel Funeral Home, 533 Meadow Drive, North Tonawanda on Thursday, March 2, from 1 to 9 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Friday, March 3, at 11 a.m. in Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, 64 Center St., North Tonawanda. In lieu of flowers, donations to Niagara Hospice, 4675 Sunset Drive, Lockport NY 14094, would be appreciated.

Lillian (Pope) Wojtaszek

October 7, 1929 - February 27, 2023