In Celebration of
Lena Varnai (nee Manzuk)
August 12, 1925 - November 24, 2025
Lovingly remembered by her grandchildren, Lee and Bradley Curry and her many cousins, nephews, nieces and dear friends.
Predeceased by her parents, Frederick and Mary (nee Sawchuk), her sisters Olga (Peter), Teenie (Walter), Alice and her beloved sons Joseph (Linda) and David (Denise).
Lena was born in Transcona, Manitoba on August 12/1925. At the time, her parents were recent immigrants to Canada from a small village in the Ukraine, located on the Dniester river, near the border of Romania. She was the first born of four daughters and was the first person, in her family, to be born in Canada.
The family eventually moved from Transcona to St. Catharines in the 1940's, after the conclusion of WWII, in search of better opportunities. It was there that she met and married her first husband, Edward Curry. They went on to have two sons, Joseph Edward (born in 1950) and David Frederick (born 1953).
By the mid 1950's, Lena went to work at Ontario Paper Company, as a secretary in the company's personnel department. She remained employed there until her retirement in 1987.
During her retirement she remained active with her many different hobbies. They included painting pictures with both oils and watercolours where many of them still hang proudly on the walls of her family members that she gifted with her paintings. She also loved quilting and was an active member of the St. Catharines Quilting Guild where she shared her time and talent, producing countless quilts for friends, family and charities. She also made clothes for teddy bears that were then given to children in hospitals as a way to cheer them up. Lastly, she was an avid gardener who grew the tastiest vegetables and prettiest flowers you've ever seen.
Lena was an incredibly loving, joyful and generous woman who loved spending time with friends and family and doting on her grandchildren, Lee and Brad. She was an excellent cook who hosted many family occasions at her small but cozy home. She loved all animals, especially the squirrels that she fed peanuts to in her backyard. She also owned lots of cats during her lifetime, many of them strays that she adopted and took into her home.
A Graveside Service will be held at Victoria Lawn Cemetery on Thursday, December 11, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.
She will be forever missed and fondly remembered by everyone lucky enough to have known and loved her.
Predeceased by her parents, Frederick and Mary (nee Sawchuk), her sisters Olga (Peter), Teenie (Walter), Alice and her beloved sons Joseph (Linda) and David (Denise).
Lena was born in Transcona, Manitoba on August 12/1925. At the time, her parents were recent immigrants to Canada from a small village in the Ukraine, located on the Dniester river, near the border of Romania. She was the first born of four daughters and was the first person, in her family, to be born in Canada.
The family eventually moved from Transcona to St. Catharines in the 1940's, after the conclusion of WWII, in search of better opportunities. It was there that she met and married her first husband, Edward Curry. They went on to have two sons, Joseph Edward (born in 1950) and David Frederick (born 1953).
By the mid 1950's, Lena went to work at Ontario Paper Company, as a secretary in the company's personnel department. She remained employed there until her retirement in 1987.
During her retirement she remained active with her many different hobbies. They included painting pictures with both oils and watercolours where many of them still hang proudly on the walls of her family members that she gifted with her paintings. She also loved quilting and was an active member of the St. Catharines Quilting Guild where she shared her time and talent, producing countless quilts for friends, family and charities. She also made clothes for teddy bears that were then given to children in hospitals as a way to cheer them up. Lastly, she was an avid gardener who grew the tastiest vegetables and prettiest flowers you've ever seen.
Lena was an incredibly loving, joyful and generous woman who loved spending time with friends and family and doting on her grandchildren, Lee and Brad. She was an excellent cook who hosted many family occasions at her small but cozy home. She loved all animals, especially the squirrels that she fed peanuts to in her backyard. She also owned lots of cats during her lifetime, many of them strays that she adopted and took into her home.
A Graveside Service will be held at Victoria Lawn Cemetery on Thursday, December 11, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.
She will be forever missed and fondly remembered by everyone lucky enough to have known and loved her.
Funeral Details
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Inurnment
Victoria Lawn Cemetery
432 Queenston Street, St. Catherines, ON, CANADA, L2P 2Y2
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Thursday, 11 Dec 2025 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM