Lidia Wojtowicz

Wojtowicz, Lidia Bukstejn MADISON Lidia Bukstejn Wojtowicz, age 86, passed away on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007. She was born on Jan. 30, 1921, in Ostrog, Poland. Lidia married Ryszard Wojotowicz in 1938. During World War II, Lidia was separated from her husband, when he was sent to fight for the Polish army. Lidia and her infant daughter were deported to Kazakhstan and were forced to travel by way of a cattle car. She spent the next several years working in labor camps and surviving on very little. Lidia eventually made it to India, where she settled in a Polish refugee camp and worked in a pharmacy. She gave birth to her second daughter in India. After living in India, the family of three moved to Tanzania and then to Brazil. Lidia moved to Madison in 1962 and worked as a lab technician. She fell in love with Madison and remained there for the rest of her years. Lidia led a fascinating life. She rarely spoke of the atrocities that she endured during the war and rather than becoming embittered with all that she lost, Lidia simply appreciated all that she had. She loved listening to music, whether it was opera, classical, or bossa nova. Lidia was self-educated and well-read. She spoke five languages and enjoyed learning about other cultures. Lidia was proud of who she was, of her Polish heritage, and of her family. She is survived by her two daughters, Joanna and Krystyna; her four grandchildren, Jacqueline, Dan, Hugo, and Michelle; and her three great-grandchildren, Richard, Julia, and Paloma. Lidia was compassionate and generous, brave and strong. She is and will continue to be greatly missed by her family and all that loved her. Friends and family are invited to a memorial service that will be held at UNITARIAN CHURCH, 900 University Bay Drive, Madison, at 2 p.m., on Sunday, June 8, 2008.