Maria Sikora 1922 ~ 2013 Mrs. Maria Sikora of Lethbridge, beloved wife of the late Mr. Antoni Sikora, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 19, 2013, at the Chinook Regional Hospital, at the age of 91 years. Maria, one of five girls, was born June 14, 1922 in Furmanka, Romania to the late Bronislawa Krzak and Jozef Supel. On December 29, 1947, she married the love of her life, Antoni Sikora and they were married for 59 years before his passing in 2007. She was a woman of great strength and determination having survived a Nazi forced labour camp during WWII only to return to her native Poland to live under an oppressive Communist regime. It was that same determination that, in 1961, would cause her and her husband to up-root their young family and move to Canada in the hope of a better life. Once in Canada, she worked hard to support her family. She was focused, intense and proud. She especially took pride in the accomplishments of her children and grandchildren. She was generous to a fault. Whether you were family or friend, you never left her home without a gift of food or money. Above all, Maria was a woman of faith who loved God and looked forward to attending weekly Mass. Maria was fiercely independent which allowed her to live in her own home to the very end. As her health declined, she was supported in her independence by all of her children but especially by the constant and loving care provided by her daughter, Maria. Maria is survived by her three children Peter Sikora of Calgary and his wife Dianne; Maria Sikora of Lethbridge; and Stacha Sikora of Calgary and her husband Robert W. Rolfe; five grandchildren Teena Jankowiak; Nicholas (Marta) Sikora; A.J. (Kimberly) Sikora; Robbie Rolfe; and Michael Rolfe; and three great-grandsons Ryan Johnson; Enzo Sikora; and Dante Sikora. She is also survived by two sisters, Ewa Haltofova in the Czech Republic and Hania Zaremba in Poland; sister-in-law Anna Juroszek of Istebna, Poland and one very special cousin, Karol Krzak, together with all of their children and their families.

A Prayer Vigil will be held at 7:00pm on Friday, July 26, 2013 at MARTIN BROTHERS RIVERVIEW CHAPEL, 610 4th Street South, Lethbridge, Alberta, led by Francis and Cybele Noronha.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00am on Saturday, July 27, 2013 at ST. BASIL'S CATHOLIC CHURCH, 604 13th Street North, Lethbridge, Alberta, with Father Roque Pereira celebrant.