Online Obituaries

Sophie J. (Galica) Kielbasa, 88, of Hadley, died on Thursday, August 10, 2016 at home. She was born in Chicopee on September 23, 1927. Sophie was the daughter of the late Stanley and Josephine (Grabowski) Galica. She was educated in Chicopee Schools and was a 1945 graduate of Chicopee High School. Sophie was employed at Westinghouse Corp. in Springfield and the University of Massachusetts in Amherst at the Donahue Institute, as an Administrative Assistant. Along with her husband, Frank, they operated the Kielbasa Apple Orchard in Hadley. Besides her parents, she is predeceased by her husband, Frank Kielbasa, four brothers, John, Francis, Steve, and Eugene and two sisters, Edna Lynch and Julie Jagodowski. She leaves a dear sister-in-law, Frances “Bunny” Kosakowski and brother-in-law Stanley Kielbasa and many nieces and nephews including Kenneth Galica, Susan Barnett, Marjorie Atwater, Nancy Underwood, Carol Lak, Joyce Reed and Donna Lapierre. She also leaves grand-nieces, grand-nephews, cousins and many loyal close friends including Helen Muraszka. The family would like to thank Cooley Dickinson VNA and Hospice for their kindness and compassionate care. Sophie’s funeral will be held on Saturday, August 13, 2016 from the Cierpial Memorial Funeral Home on 69 East St. in Chicopee Falls, followed by a Liturgy of Christian Burial at Most Holy Redeemer Church, 120 Russell St. in Hadley at 11 am. Her burial will be in Holy Rosary Cemetery also in Hadley. Visitation will be held on Saturday from 8:30 to 10:00 am before the funeral. In Sophie’s memory, memorial contributions may be made to the Polish Center for Discovery and Learning, 33 South St., Chicopee, MA 01013 or to the Cooley Dickinson Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice, 168 Industrial Dr., Northampton, MA 01060.