Ruth Ann Mikolajczyk

It is said that grief is the price you pay for love.  No words can erase the pain of our loss. Our dear mother, guided by her strong faith, gently slipped into the arms of our Lord on June 23, 2023, surrounded by her family. We are heartbroken but are finding comfort in the knowledge that she was greeted in heaven by her husband and parents.

Born in Toledo on August 29, 1937 to Chester and Alice (Szymanski) Ciesinski, she was the oldest of their five children. She graduated from Notre Dame Academy (’55) and after her children were grown attended the University of Toledo.

She was employed by the Catholic Charities Diocese of Toledo for 29 years where she met and married the love of her life, Alvin Mikolajczyk on November 28, 1957.  They celebrated the sacrament of marriage for nearly 60 years and were blessed with seven children – one for each day of the week!

Most of her life revolved around her children and grandchildren.  She was both the loving rock and back bone of our family. Her quiet strength, intelligence, grace, dignity and love is a part of us all.   When asked why she did not take a lot of photographs of her children, she commented that it was not for lack of love that she didn’t document their childhood.   She was too busy keeping her children away from lawnmowers and power tools. She shaped us, protected us and provided us with goodies.  Her approach to teaching was to apply both reason and kindness – yet even with her children she shook her head at times. She mended our clothes and our hearts.  She taught us through her actions with grace, strength and wisdom. Her family was a pleasant treasure that she shared with pride.

Generous with her time and wisdom, she was a woman of strong faith and family whose familiar laugh will be missed.  She loved her family and being with them was an almost every weekend event.  Holidays and birthdays were fun, loud chaotic events encouraged and headed by our mother.

She was a woman of many talents especially crocheting, baking and a fierce pinochle player. She defined herself not by what she said, but what she did. She had the ability to meld the warmth of the past and the promise of the future. 

She was instantly friendly and interesting and could relate on so many levels about so many subjects.  She may not have been a woman of the world but she worked hard and encouraged her family to explore every opportunity presented to them.  She could warm a room with her presence. Strong enough to chop down a tree, yet gentle enough to rock a baby to sleep.  (She was never happier than when she held a baby in her arms.) She helped people understand the value of being generous and accepted generosity with grace and appreciation. In doing so she made us into a better friend and companion which has helped us develop strong relationships throughout our lives.

She is survived by friendships and causes that she dedicated her time, resources and energy toward, especially the Notre Dame Academy annual service trip to Appalachia which she held dear to her heart.  She felt deeply connected to the plight of those who were less fortunate than herself and in some way felt this was her opportunity to repay the kindness she had been granted throughout her life.  Left living in her afterglow are her lunch bunch friends Dottie Campbell and Kathy Grambling, and her cousins Collette and Annette.

She equally loved her children and their spouses, her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren.   Her legacy and spirit lives on through her sons, Alvin (Kathy) Mikolajczyk, and Joseph (Theresa) Mikolajczyk; daughters, Mary (Richard) Morrison, Christine (Karl) Filzer, Kathleen (Robert) Bench, Julia (David) Deal, and Jennifer (Michael) Villa; brothers, Edward (MaryJane) Ciesinski, Timothy (Linda) Ciesinski, Dennis (Lori) Ciesinski, and Philip (Maureen) Ciesinski; sisters in law, Joyce Lorenz, Sophie Mikolajczyk, Beverly Mikolajczyk; grandchildren, April Biesel, Jessica Carmen (Filzer), Andrew Mikolajczyk, Kristen Filzer, Jacob Mikolajczyk, Zach Mikolajczyk, Allison Bench, Bobby Bench, Danielle Villa, Ashley Villa, Alan Villa, Jonas Deal, and Rebecca Deal; as well as three beautiful great grandchildren.  Her nieces and nephews where always a source of fun, laughter and perpetual positive vibes which she felt were an inspiration to her.  She would want them to know they were loved.

Although there will be tears, there will also be smiles and happy memories. We hope you will remember her as a woman who had a generous heart and an immeasurable love of life & family. 

Visitation will be Thursday, June 29 from 4-8 p.m. and Friday from 2-8 p.m. at Sujkowski Funeral Home Northpointe, 114 E. Alexis Rd. with a rosary Friday at 7 p.m.  Funeral services will begin Saturday at 10:15 a.m. in the funeral home and continue with the Funeral Mass in Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church at 11 a.m.  Interment will follow in Calvary Cemetery.

Memorial gifts in her honor can be made to Notre Dame Academy to support the annual service trip to Appalachia.