Bernice Michalski

Bernice Pieczko Michalski, age 92, lifelong resident of Stamford, CT passed away peacefully on the morning of February 13, 2015 in her home of 68 years with her family by her side. She was born in Stamford, CT on January 12, 1923 to the late Charles and Helen Malachowsik Pieczko. Bernice attended Holy Name grammar school, Stamford High School and was trained as a beautician at Park City Beauty School in Bridgeport, CT. She worked at various beauty salons in Stamford until she purchased her own business, the High Ridge Beauty Salon, which she owned and operated from 1960 until 1973. She was married to the late Michael Michalski for 62 years and was a devoted, loving mother to her late daughter, Elaine Michalski and her son, Dr. Robert Michaels, currently of Inwood, WV. She has three grandchildren: Rebecca Klein of Castro Valley, CA, Kathryn Keysor of Kearneysville, WV and Major Robert N. Michaels, U.S. Army JAG currently stationed in Charlottesville, VA. She also has four great grandchildren; Morgan Keysor (age 6), Helen Keysor (age 4), Aeryn Keysor (age 2) and Benjamin Keysor (6 months) who were “the apples of her eye” and with whom she enjoyed many holidays and birthday celebrations. Bernice loved traveling and did a lot of it. After her husband Mike retired in 1982, they drove across the USA by the northern route and returned east by the southern route. They also traveled to Alaska, Mexico, multiple European Countries, Australia, New Zealand, Bora Bora, Singapore and Thailand as well as spending multiple summers and autumns in the San Francisco Bay area with their daughter, Elaine, prior to her passing. Following the death of Mike in 2004, she continued to travel extensively with her son, Bob and his gracious wife, Barbara, going on multiple cruises to Greece, Bermuda, the Eastern and Western Caribbean as well as a memorable escorted tour of Panama and the Panama Canal in 2010. Bernice also enjoyed casinos and was an avid Yankee fan. Her Mother’s Day gifts for the past several years were tickets to Yankee games where she proudly wore her official “Jeter” uniform shirt and Yankee hat. In addition to her parents, husband & daughter, Bernice was also predeceased by her sister, Dorothy H. Pieczko in 1957, the first policewoman in the City of Stamford. Friends and relatives may offer their sympathy and condolences to Bernice’s family on Friday, February 20, 2015 from 4pm to 8pm at Bosak Funeral Home, 453 Shippan Avenue, Stamford, CT 06902. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, February 21st at 9am at St. Bridget of Ireland R.C. Church, 278 Strawberry Hill Avenue, Stamford, CT 06902. The committal service and interment will immediately follow mass at St. John Cemetery in Darien. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in Bernice’s name to any of the following charities: Masonicare Home Health & Hospice, c/o The Masonic Charity Foundation of Connecticut, Cheshire 74 Road, P.O. Box 70, Wallingford, CT 06492; The Scleroderma Research Foundation, 220 Montgomery St. Suite 1411, San Francisco, CA 94104; The American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718. The family has entrusted the funeral arrangements to Bosak Funeral Home, 453 Shippan Avenue in Stamford. If you care to leave a condolence message online please visit the family guestbook on www.bosakfuneralhome.com.

Bernice Michalski

January 12, 1923 - February 13, 2015