PETELSKI, Halina

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On February 27, 2021, Halina Petelski went home to be with the Lord at the age of 90.

To say Halina had a full life is an understatement.  Born in Warsaw Poland in 1930 from a noble family of pedigree and privilege but stolen through the perils of the First World War, the family name and the dignity of an honourable and proud bloodline was how Halina came into the world. Her family home and possessions were brutally taken over by war, but she carried her parentage pride like a crown throughout her life.  Until the age of 9 Halina lived a privileged, peaceful life with her parents and her sister and brother. Her father owned and ran the local Mercantile in a middle-class area of Warsaw, but when the second World War bombed the Capitol, the family fled the city with only light possessions, jewelry and money.

Halina watched her mother sell her jewelry piece by piece to pay for meager dwellings and living expenses, and with winter coming this enterprising young lady at the age of 9 would duck past German soldiers to take the 2 km walk each day to a friend who gave her loaves of baked bread from his/her bakery in order to sell to local neighbours. Halina, being the shortest and fastest of her brother and sister, never got caught and was able to sell these loaves for whatever money was offered, with one loaf spare for themselves.  In their one-bedroom home, the five of them would gather and sing, playing and praising Jesus for their abundance and their survival.  Sadly, Halina’s father passed away shortly after that from pneumonia he caught by working as a farm-hand in the cold, without proper attire.

At the age of 18, Halina was courted and accepted her hand in marriage to Wlodzimierz Jacyszyn, a preacher twice her age with whom she birthed 5 children. Elizabeth, Lydia, Andrew, Eva and Ania. Halina worked various jobs to make extra money while caring for her children, virtually a single mother of 5 because her husband was always on the road preaching the gospel.  In 1950, every pastor in Poland was arrested, all churches were closed, and Halina’s husband was imprisoned for 9 months which meant no income was coming in, so again Halina found ways through the church to work and keep her children safe. No one ever knew how financially poor she was because Halina always made sure her children went to school with white collar and cuffs that were starched and pressed as part of their uniform. Shoes were polished and socks mended to perfection, hair neatly braided with clean face and nails and a belly full of food – Sometimes with only potato soup and a piece of bread, but nonetheless, full.

Halina was 8 months pregnant with her fifth child when her husband was tragically killed on his motorcycle, an accident as a result of a drunk driver. In 1967 with 5 children, this time with the reality that she was a single mother, Halina Jacyszyn met a George Petelski, a Russian Baptist preacher who travelled from Canada to Warsaw as a guest from his church in St Catherine’s, Ontario. George, a recent widower himself was also with 5 children, but his family was already in University or married with children of their own. The two met at church and before long George asked for Halina’s hand in marriage, then emigrated the Jacyszyn family to Canada where they began their lives together in St. Catharines, Ontario.

In the early 1970s Halina, George and 3 of her 5 children were on a driving holiday to British Columbia to visit friends from the “Old Country”. They were making their way to Chilliwack when their Van hit black ice and skidded over a cliff. The Van turned over 3 times before landing wheels down at the bottom of a 50-foot ravine – By the divine power of their faith in God, Halina and the children only were lightly bruised and George needed hospitalization for broken ribs and fractured bones and the nearest hospital was Kelowna.  While her husband was convalescing at Kelowna General Hospital, Halina took a walk around, saw the lake, looked up at the mountains with all its rugged beauty and saw the potential of a good life, she knew that this was going to be home. With a down-payment on almost an acre of land on Gordon Road, Halina, George, and her three youngest children moved to town in 1973. The two oldest daughters remained in Ontario, already in their 20s, married and pursuing their own careers and lives.

George became a pastor of a Slavic Russian Church on Ethel Street where they both ministered faithfully. Halina blessed many of the congregation each Sunday with her love of music and extraordinary singing voice as well as catering all bible studies and special events that George’s congregation gathered at. Sunday mornings the family attended Evangel Church for her children to attend Sunday School in the English language as well as meet like-minded friends and opportunities for work. While George was a carpenter during the week, Halina got a job at BC Tree Fruits in the Packing House.

Halina was never idle. She had the energy of two or three people always fixing, mending, cooking, cleaning and helping anyone she could. After a full day or night shift at the Packing House, Halina would come home, and before resting herself, she made sure her children’s clothes were ready for school and a packed lunch was prepared for her kids and husband and there was a full hot meal for dinner.

In 2012, Halina’s second husband, George Petelski passed away from Alzheimer’s. It was in 2016 when Halina remarried for the 3rd time to James Nicholas from Abbotsford. A widower who was visiting family in Kelowna that fateful weekend, James swept Halina off her feet! He was truly smitten – James told Halina he went to Evangel church that morning in 2015 because God told him his wife was there. Halina, who was never led by romance and all the heart strings of passion, was completely taken aback by his persistence. He arrived at her house every day with a gift or flowers and courted her the old-fashioned way. Every day for weeks, James asked Halina for her hand in marriage and the more he watched her cook and carry on the more he was absolutely sure he needed to be her husband. One morning in the heat of the moment, she said yes!  While moving his belongings to settle and make a nest for his upcoming nuptials, James was in a severe car accident. Although he worked very hard to be able to walk his bride down the isle, his body never truly recovered, and he too passed away leaving Halina a widow for the third time.

Halina lived her life with a song in her heart and would often break up her day to go the piano and “sing a song for Jesus”. She would literally stop what she was doing and go to the piano, open her song book and accompany herself, sometimes on the guitar or harpsichord whatever the spirit led her to play.

Halina was a woman who spoke 5 languages, she was an excellent singer, seamstress, chef, and what ever she put her mind to, she mastered.  There was always a pot of soup on the stove for anyone who visited her, and she was always generous of her time, even though she knew what tasks still needed to be done that day. Halina’s ministry was feeding her friends, and everyone was welcome to be her friend. Her passion for Christ and her regal poise gave her a demeanor which demanded respect and that is what she received from everyone.

Covid-19 hindered Halina’s 90th birthday celebration on June 22, 2019, and then the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer took her life, a life that everyone she ever met will remember or have a story of. They call her the Queen of Borscht and Halina Petelski reigns supreme in the hearts of her family to include 5 Children, 21 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and 100’s of friends with a story of their own to hold dear to their heart.

The family invites all who wish to pay their respects to join the service online by Livestream on Friday, March 5, 2021 at 1:00 pm, a recording will be available shortly thereafter (see below). Due to the current pandemic restrictions, in-person will be invite-only.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Central Okanagan Hospice Association (COHA)

If you wish to send a condolence, post photos, or share a memory please scroll down the page to the area called “Condolences”.