Obituary: Anna "Annie' Belejack, 99, of Wallingford

WALLINGFORD, CT - (From Wallingford Funeral Home) Anna Belejack “Annie), 99, died Saturday, February 5, 2022, at the Wallingford home she shared with her daughter, Barbara.

Born in Pennsylvania, Annie was the daughter of the late Michael and Mary (Orlovski) Botsko and wife of the late Peter Belejack. She grew up in Bridgeport and was a proud graduate of the Bridgeport Hospital School of Nursing.

After marrying Pete, she briefly worked at the Meriden Hospital and for many years at the World War II Veterans’ Memorial Hospital, where she was often called to Operating Room duty in the middle of the night before starting her regular morning shift.

A longtime parishioner of Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, Annie belonged to a folk-dance troupe, organized a senior’s group, and could always be counted on for a turn at making blintzes. After retiring, she enjoyed trips to Spain, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

She liked learning new things and was almost eighty when she bought her first computer; even well into her nineties she enjoyed meeting new friends and playing Lotería at the Meriden Public Library.

She loved animals—from the ongoing parade of cats that shared her home to the deer she spied from the living room window.

In later years, she developed a passion for all things penguin; one of her favorite excursions was to the Mystic Aquarium, where she put on a stethoscope one more time and listened to the heartbeat of a penguin.

In addition to Barbara, she is survived by her beloved brother Robert (Alice) Botsko, sister-in-law Margaret Savchik (her dear next-door neighbor for nearly fifty years); nieces Andrea Konetchy, Jan (Herb) Moltzan, Sue (Doug) Ziman, and Mary Ann (Al) Kowal; nephews John (Jeannie) Botsko, Ed (Barb) Botsko, John (Brigitte) Savchik, and Tom (Peggy) Savchik; many great-nieces and great-nephews, as well as great-grand nephews Niko and Andrew DeCaprio.

In addition to her beloved husband and parents, she was predeceased by her sister, Helen Rozdil, and brothers John and Michael Botsko.

If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes an army to raise an almost centenarian. Annie’s family and friends would like to thank the caregivers who contributed so much to her later years. Special thanks go to Yolanda Telford, Kim Palmer, Jessica Paintsil, and Wendy McKay, who not only treated Annie with great kindness and skill, but also humored her requests to play still another episode of Everybody Loves Raymond.

Funeral services were held Saturday, February 12, 2022, at Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in Meriden, followed by burial at the church cemetery.

Contributions in Annie’s honor can be made to Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in Meriden or to your local humane society or no-kill animal shelter.

Memory Eternal