Aleksandra Lipecki

Aleksandra Lipecki passed peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, August 6, 2023, at the magnificent age of 98 years old. Known to most as Sandra, she was born on May 25, 1925, in the free city state of Gdansk, Poland to Bonifacy Langowski and Bronislawa Kamrowska Langowska. She was the youngest of four siblings, with two brothers and a sister, Henry, Joe, and Mary. As a child Sandra enjoyed swimming in the Baltic Sea, playing piano, and playing with her older cousin, Zosia, at their country home, Rozana. She learned the freedom and responsibility of driving a car from her mother who drove the family and did basic maintenance on the Adler Trumpf. Their family were members of the Polish Szlachta or upper class and lived with a certain amount of comfort, but also had to uphold certain appearances. So, while her mother could drive and work on the family car, Sandra was not allowed to learn how to ride a bike, because it was not considered lady-like. On September 1, 1939, the German military invaded Poland and her idyllic life changed forever. Sandra was 15 when World War II began. Her father was the district attorney in Gdansk, and had previously helped to draft the Treaty of Versailles after WWI. He was captured by German SS officers, taken to the Stutthof camp, and executed in the first year of the war. Sandra spent the war in and out of work camps with her mother and sister, eventually being moved from Poland to the western part of Germany. Her brother Henry fought with the Resistance, was captured and died in a Nazi prison shortly before the end of the war. Her brother Joe also fought with the Resistance but evaded capture and emigrated to the United States. Following the end of WW2, Sandra was in a refugee camp in Stuttgart, Germany when she met the love of her life, Edmund Lipecki. Her sister had married an American intelligence officer and was able to help find Edmund and Sandra sponsorship to resettle in the US. As a new immigrant, Sandra had many jobs, first working in a glove factory, as a housekeeper, and then as a clerk for an insurance company. In 1958, Sandra and Edmund welcomed their only daughter, Yvonne Lipecki Hosey, to the world in New York City. Sandra, Edmund, and Yvonne spent the next years moving between New Jersey, Atlanta, and Florida, before finally settling in Atlanta in the 1970's. Sandra worked full-time as well as carried the load of homemaking; following the cultural tradition she took care of her husband and ran the household, always carefully budgeting and saving money to have a little extra when needed. In 1998, following the passing of her husband Edumund, Sandra moved to Knoxville to be near her daughter and grandchildren. And lucky for them, for the past 28 years, she has been a very sweet and present grandmother- Babi, as they lovingly called her- in their lives. Sandra loved dachshunds, traveling, Chopin, the color red, making Polish treats, keeping traditions, and sharing stories and treasured photos from her years in Poland. Through the age of 97, she meticulously balanced her checkbook, wrote emails to family across the globe, and would banter about the state of the world. She spoke three languages fluently: Polish, English and German. During a family trip through Germany to Poland, Germans kept complimenting her formal German speech. Her family asked why she never showed off her German in the US and her reply was, "You can forgive, but you never forget.” She was a beloved member of the International Friends Club of Tennessee and Immaculate Conception Church. Sandra will be missed and remembered by her daughter Yvonne, son-in-law Kevin, and grandchildren Eamon and Olivia Hosey as well as family members and friends. A memorial mass and reception will be held in her honor at Immaculate Conception Church on Thursday, September 21, 2023, at 2 pm. All are welcome. Sandra will be laid to rest alongside her dear relatives at the Polish National Cemetery in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Much Ministries (the nonprofit her granddaughter works for) at muchministries.org. Checks may be sent to: Much Ministries PO Box 24599, Saint Simons Island, Georgia 31522.

Tributes

Aleksandra Lipecki

May 25, 1925 - August 6, 2023