Obituaries
Ilona Pradzinski
19/03/1962 - 10/02/2021
Obituary For Ilona Pradzinski
It is with heavy hearts, we mournfully announce the sudden passing of Ilona Pradzinski. She will be missed and forever loved by her family and her many friends.
Ilona was born in Kielce, Poland in 1962. As a youth, she enjoyed dancing in a Polish Folk dance group. She also had a talent in art that she studied in school growing up. She has enjoyed the arts her entire life and especially loved going to the theatre. Ilona left Poland when she was around 18 and moved to Chicago. She was married for the first time soon after and has a daughter from that first marriage, Joanna who was born in July 1984. In 1991, she divorced her first husband and married her current husband, Tim, on December 21, 1991 and they shared 29 wonderful years together. In 1993, Ilona and Tim moved to Grande Prairie, Alberta where their family grew by 2 more. Alex was born in March 1994 and Stephanie was born in November 1995. Ilona was a stay-at-home Mom and truly loved that role as she was able to raise her children into fine, upstanding citizens. When the kids were older, she wanted to go to work and found a job working at Scotiabank. Then, she left that job to start her own daycare business working from home. She ran that business for many years before taking a job working as a Customer Service Rep at the Eastlink Centre where she excelled. She loved her co-workers and the many guests that she got to know and call friends. Outside of work, Ilona was an amazing artist. She also loved to work on her family history and was very good at it. She was able to go back many generations and got to learn much about her ancestors in the process. Ilona was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved her Church and served in many positions throughout her life. She especially loved working in the Young Women’s program. Ilona was sealed to her husband, Tim, for time and all eternity in the Cardston, Alberta Temple. Ilona loved to travel the world. She always looked forward to that next big adventure. Now, she is on the biggest adventure of all. She is with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and has been reunited with her family that have passed on before her. Although Ilona leaves behind an amazing family and many, many friends, she will be forever remembered as a bright and shining soul who always thought of others before herself. Ilona, God be with you till we meet again!
Ilona is survived by her husband Tim and their three children Joanna (Eric) Ungstad, Alex (Alyssa) Pradzinski and Stephanie (Nick) Plett. She cherished time spent with her grandkids Mya, Hannah, Eli and Lyla. Ilona and Tim moved from Chicago to Grande Prairie in 1993 so she could be with her siblings Andrzej (Janina) Podolski, Piotr (Audrey) Podolski and Beata (Mirek) Bator who all currently reside in Grande Prairie. She truly enjoyed the daily phone calls she got from them and the many times we got together for BBQ’s, dinners and just for a spontaneous visit. She will also miss all the wonderful nieces and nephews who were such an important part of her life.
Ilona was predeceased by her father Jerzy Ignacy Podolski and her mother Teresa Podolski (Jarosz).
A private memorial service will be held for Ilona by invitation on Saturday February 13, 2021 at Bear Creek Funeral Home (11802 99 Avenue, Grande Prairie, Alberta). For those unable to attend, a livestream of Ilona’s memorial service will be available beginning at 2pm. A link to the livestream will be available below or you may go directly to the Bear Creek Funeral Home YouTube channel.
Care entrusted to Bear Creek Funeral Home 780-830-7742 www.bearcreekfuneral.com
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a funeral?
A funeral is a ceremony for a deceased person prior to burial or cremation. A funeral gives the opportunity for family and friends of the deceased to gather and mourn the passing of their loved one, to share cherished memories and celebrate their life. A funeral is a vital first step to help the bereaved heal after the loss of someone special.
What type of service should I have?
If no pre-arrangements have been made, the type of service is entirely up to you. Services are usually held at a funeral home, community hall, or a place of worship. There is a wealth of different services, ranging from a traditional religious or military service to something a little more non-traditional. Our funeral directors are more than happy to work with you to figure out what would be the most appropriate.
Who are Funeral Directors and what do they do?
Funeral directors are in charge of all the logistics following a death. They complete all the necessary paperwork, make arrangements for the transportation of the body, and put into action the choices made by the family in regards to the funeral service and the final resting place of the body. Beyond the logistics, funeral directors are there to provide moral support and guidance for someone coping with death.
What if a death occurs away from my home town?
We are here to help, we can arrange to have your loved one transported home from anywhere in the world. We will assume responsibility and make the proper arrangements to have them returned to the community. We use the same organization that brings our military home when needed.
What is embalming and what purpose does it serve?
Embalming sanitizes and preserves the body; it also slows down the decomposition process and enhances the appearance of the body damaged by traumatic death or illness. Embalming gives time to the family of the deceased to arrange a service, and allows the family the option of having an open-casket viewing.
What do I do if I am not satisfied with the way a funeral was handled?
Funeral homes and funeral professionals in Alberta are licensed by the Alberta Funeral Services Regulatory Board. If you are unhappy with the way a funeral was handled or the actions of a funeral home in Alberta, you may speak with or proceed with a complaint process to seek resolution of the matter. More information is found at http://www.afsrb.ab.ca/ or by phone at (780) 452-6130
How much does a funeral cost?
The cost of the funeral varies depending on the wishes you have. The average cost of a funeral is between $5,000-$7,000, however, it varies greatly depending on the kind of service you desire. In general, cremation tends to cost less than burial. The costs include professional services including transportation, embalming and other preparations, the use of a facility for the ceremony, and the purchase of a casket or urn.
Can I personalize a funeral?
Of course you can, in fact, more and more people are opting for a more non-traditional personalized service. There is no right or wrong way to celebrate somebody’s life. There are many unique ways to celebrate life, let the funeral director know exactly what your desires are and they will honour your wishes.
Do we need to have an obituary notice and what is included in one?
It is highly recommended to have an obituary notice that’s either placed in a local newspaper or placed online. An obituary lets the public know that a death has occurred, and gives them information about the service. Obituaries generally include the deceased’s full name, age, city, and date of birth and the city they were living in when they died. It also includes the name of the deceased’s spouse, along with the names of anyone else significant in their lives, such as parents, children or grandchildren. Space may be limited in a newspaper obituary, but you may include a little blurb on the life and legacy of the deceased. An online obituary or memorial website offers you the chance to add a lot more about the deceased.
What happens if the death occurs in the middle of the night or on the weekend?
We are here to help, funeral directors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.
Do I need to have an embalming
No, embalming is often an unnecessary expense, even if a viewing is desired. There are times when we would recommend embalming, especially if there is an extended gap between death and burial or cremation.
Why are funerals so expensive?
Funerals are labor intensive and require a lot of work from a lot of people. The cost of a funeral goes beyond merchandise such as caskets, it includes the services of a funeral director in making the necessary arrangements, filling out forms, and dealing with all the other people involved in the death (doctors, lawyers, insurance companies). Funeral directors work an average of 40 hours per funeral. The cost of operating a funeral home is factored into the cost as well. Funeral homes are a 24 hour operation, with extensive facilities that need to be maintained and secured.
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