Leonarda (Leah) Ostrowski, born June 9, 1930, passed away peacefully in her sleep after a sudden illness, at UMass Worcester, in the early morning hours of March 27, 2023. She was a robust 92 years young. She will be greatly missed by her family.

Leah’s life spanned the dredges of WWII in Poland and she survived such horrors against humanity that surrounded her as a young girl. In her steely resolve, she married, had children, and immigrated to America in 1965, landing in Bellows Falls, VT. There she continued her strong work ethic at Green Mountain Paper Mill for many years. In 1995, she took employment at Cheshire Medical Center, in Keene, NH where she worked as head seamstress, and provided interpreter services for those patients who spoke Polish, Russian, German, Ukrainian, and more. She was a woman of many talents and a proud and valuable employee at the hospital. She remained employed there until she was 85 and boasted the title of oldest employee whenever she saw fit. Hopefully, you have heard some of her tales of old, as she was a great storyteller, her favorite subject being her unique life and the wisdom she had to offer.

Leah is predeceased by her beloved husband, Czeslaw Ostrowski, as well as two boys, Mietek and Leszek, lost in Poland to the Scarlett Fever epidemic. She leaves behind her children and their spouses, Anna and Scott Michaud, Janusz and Jodi Ostrowski, Marcus and Shelley Ostrowski, and Marjan and Victoria Ostrowski. She bids goodbye to her eight grandchildren, Jarek, Jordan, Nathan, Justine, Alastair, Victoria, Andrew and Bethany, as well as one great-grandchild, Brooks. She also leaves her most beloved sister in Poland, Danuta Kukuc, with whom she skyped or emailed daily for many years.

If you knew Leah, you may have been graced with one of her favorite adages or two. Perhaps even with a finger wag, you might have heard, “Work smart, not hard!” or “It is only up to you!” or “For what you need this?” Her traditional Polish cooking and masterful knitting and sewing talents will not soon be forgotten.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Fenton and Hennessey Funeral Home in Bellows Falls, VT. 

A Mass will be Saturday, May 6 at 10:00 AM at Saint Charles Church in Bellows Falls, VT. Then, burial at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Westminster, VT. Please join us an celebrate Leah’s life immediately following at the Moose Lodge in Bellows Falls, VT.

Fenton and Hennessey Funeral Home, 55 Westminster Street, Bellows Falls, VT is assisting with arrangements.