ALBINA ANN GLEB, beloved wife of the late Borys Gleb, passed away peacefully on August 31, 2023, at the age of 93 years.
Albina is survived by her children Cindy Rutschmann (Fritz) and Gary Gleb (Mary), her grandchildren: Mikolai Rutschmann (Tamara), Tyson Rutschmann, and John Gleb; and her siblings: Louis Kruszewski (late Vivian), Christine Demchuk (Harry), and Stanley Kruszewski (Phyllis).
She was predeceased by her parents Mary and John Kruszewski; and her brother John Kruszewski.
Albina was born on January 7, 1930, in the Polish village of Brzozowo-Muzyly. As an infant, she and her parents made a difficult Depression-era journey to Alberta, where she grew up on farms near Picture Butte and Claresholm. The eldest of five children, Albina completed high school and secretarial college.
Following World War II, Albina met Borys, who had immigrated to Canada after serving in the free Polish army that fought in alliance with the British army. They fell in love and married in November 1949. During their 72-year marriage, Albina worked in the medical records department of Saint Michael's Hospital before moving to the Alberta Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, where she managed the office and processed lab materials. She retired in 1985.
Albina was devoted to her family and home. She was a caring and attentive mother, ever ready to help her children. When they took up an activity, she did too, by joining the organization offering it or by trying it herself. She was also a loving daughter and sister who went out of her way and was always ready to share her time and energy with her parents and kin.
Together Albina and Borys enlarged and improved the house they bought when they married and in which they lived for nearly all of their marriage. Albina made that house a warm and welcoming place for their many friends and relatives. Outside her home, she was an active member of several organizations, including the Catholic Women's League. Like Borys, she loved to travel and developed a strong interest in golf. Over the years they made trips to Poland, other European countries, and Hawaii, and enjoyed golf courses around the world.
In life, Albina always tried to do the right thing the right way. That is her gift to us.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION CATHOLIC CHURCH, 2405-12th Avenue South, Lethbridge, AB on Saturday, September 16th, 2023 at 10:00 A.M. with Father Kevin Tumback celebrating. The Funeral Mass will be live-streamed and may be viewed through Albina's obituary on the Cornerstone website.
Following the Funeral Mass, Albina will be laid to rest with her beloved husband, Borys, in Mountain View Cemetery. Afterward, there will be a reception in honour of them both. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice.
Patricia Kensley (Joevenazzo), September 16, 2023
Lee & Maria Kruszewski, September 3, 2023