GUZDZIOL, Anna Zofia – 87, A very loved and renowned resident of Port Hawkesbury passed away on March 23, 2011, in St. Martha’s Regional Hospital, her daughter Barbara and son-in-law Martin by her side. She is now at peace, knowing that she joins her beloved husband Władysław. Born in Grodno, Poland, on January 20, 1924, she was the daughter of Maurycy and Adolfina Thorn. She led a remarkable life from her early pre-war childhood years of privilege in Poland, which was viciously torn apart during the terrible war years which she spent in Warsaw. As a teenager, she was forced to rely on her survival instincts to get through many life-and-death situations which are a tragic reality in war. She joined the "Armia Krajowa" (Home Army), and took part in the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. The outcome was her being taken Prisoner of War to a camp in Oberlangen, Germany, near the Dutch Border. She was liberated in April 1945 by the Polish Armoured Division which was fighting in the West. She was first moved to Paris, then to England, where she was conscripted to the Polish Navy under the British Command. She loved to recount the story that she chose the Navy "because they had the nicest uniforms". She served as a WREN in the Naval base in Okehampton, Devon in England, where she met her future husband, Dr. Władysław Guzdziol, a Medical Officer at the base. They were married in April 1947 in London. They lived in England for four more years, moving to Canada in November 1951, when her husband was invited by a citizen’s committee of West Bay Road to open a medical practice in Cape Breton. In 1952 they moved to Port Hawkesbury, where her husband soon developed a large practice. She helped her husband in his work, especially at the confinements. She was a formidable presence in the community, taking the initiative and determination even at a young age and a recent immigrant to found the town’s first Girl Guide group in 1957. A year later, the first Brownie packs were formed. She loved camping, and organized camps for the Girl Guides in New Campbelton and in St. Georges Channel. She took her Guides on trips to Prince Edward Island, and to Quebec. She was a District Commissioner and held the Office of the Deputy Provincial Commissioner in 1967. She was awarded the Girl Guide Medal of Merit, the Mayflower Medal, and a Life Membership. In 2007, she received the Beaver Medal, the highest award presented by the National Girl Guide movement, to recognize her efforts. She received the "Croix de Combattants" order in 1971 and the Queen Jubilee Medal in 1977. She was a member of the first Status of Women. She was President of the Liberal Women’s Commission in 1990. She was a member of the Chamber of Commerce and of the Board of Directors of the Innkeepers Guild of Nova Scotia. She was nominated "Woman Entrepreneur" in 1999, and was bestowed by the Port Hawkesbury Chamber of Commerce in 2010 the prestigious Jack Hartery Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of the business contribution that she and her late husband made to the community. She had a very special way of dealing with people, bringing a cheerful mood to any meeting, social function, or supermarket. She loved to be amongst people, and was excellent in public relations. She owned and managed the Viking Motel in Port Hastings and then Troy Lodge Cottages. She loved traveling, be it to Europe, India, or Mexico. She was passionate about politics, and a staunch Liberal, attending many of the Liberal conventions throughout Canada. She was a very religious person, participating actively in St. Joseph Parish, elected to the Parish Council in 1998 for a 4-year-term; she was also a member of the CWL. She enjoyed life and her joy of life was infectious on others. She was predeceased by her brother, Roman in 1926, and by her husband, Władysław in 2007. She is survived by her daughter Barbara and her husband Martin, and relatives in Poland. Visitation will be Saturday and Sunday 2-4 and 7-9 pm, with a Vigil Service at 2 p.m., Saturday and a Legion Service at 7 p.m., Sunday in the Dennis Haverstock Funeral Home, Port Hawkesbury. Funeral Mass will be 11 a.m. Monday March 28, in St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, Father Andrew Boyd officiating. Donations in memory of Anna Guzdziol may be made to the Girl Guides of Canada, Canadian Cancer Society. St. Joseph Cemetery Fund, or a charity of your choice. Words of comfort may be forwarded to the family at: www.haverstocks.com Niech odpoczywa w pokoju wiecznym. Service Information Service Date Monday, March 28, 2011