Amelia Zawacki Ennis Wojick

. Mary Amelia Zawacki Ennis Wojick, of Willimantic, died Wednesday June 15, 2011 at the Windham Community Memorial Hospital in Willimantic. She was 89 and died of heart failure. She was the fourth of thirteen children of the late Boleslaw and Amelia Polak Zawacki and was born in their home at 36 Avery St. in Norwich, Connecticut on February 5, 1922. She attended Elizabeth Street, Mount Pleasant Street and Saint Joseph's Schools in Norwich and graduated from the Norwich Free Academy in 1939. After graduating from high school she worked at the lunch counter of the Woolworth Five and Dime store in Norwich. It was there, in 1940, she met her future husband, Robert E. Ennis, of Denver, Colorado, a submariner stationed at the Submarine Base in Groton. They were married on July 8, 1943, at St Joseph's Catholic Church in Norwich. She then went to work at Hamilton Propeller (a division of Pratt and Whitney Aircraft) in Hartford, to join the war effort (think Rosie the Riveter). She was widowed that same year, when the entire crew of the USS Corvina was lost after it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in the Truk Islands in the South Pacific. Amelia never fully recovered from the loss. Their daughter, also named Amelia but called Bobbie after her father, was born in May of 1944. Amelia was licensed as and worked briefly as a hairdresser and then at Reid and Hughes Department Store as a salesgirl. She had a lovely voice and sang in the church choir at St. Joseph's. In 1951 she met Adolph "Ding" Wojick, of Willimantic. He was an accountant for Capitol Garage, a talented athlete, and a dedicated Democrat, elected multiple terms to positions in city government before being appointed Postmaster in 1962. He was also a wonderful dancer. They were married on June 24, 1952, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Norwich, Connecticut, and made their home in Willimantic. Their two sons, Kenneth and Gregory were born while they lived on Normandy Avenue in Terry Court. They moved to their permanent home on Godfrey Street in 1955. A housewife for the remainder of her life, Amelia nevertheless worked part time for several years at Connecticut Bank and Trust in the safe deposit section. She also enjoyed travel, dabbling in the stock market, and exercising her considerable green thumb. She is survived by daughter Amelia Ennis McCarron and her husband Dr. William McCarron of Austin, TX; son Kenneth John Wojick of East Haddam, CT; and son Gregory Joseph Wojick and his wife Pandora of Wilton, CT. Grandchildren include Katherine McCarron and her husband Ben Neaderland of Alexandria, VA, Daniel McCarron of Fort Worth, TX, and Kara and Christopher Wojick of Wilton, CT. Great grandchildren include Quentin and Georgia Neaderland of Alexandria VA. She is also survived by her sister Albina Zawacki Czapski of Norwich, CT and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Boleslaw and Amelia Polak Zawacki; husband Robert E. Ennis and husband of thirty-two years Adolph J. Wojick; sisters, Philomena Haley, Pauline Lodyko, and Hermaine "Mickey" Denis as well as Elizabeth, Marcella, Adelaide, who died in childhood; brothers Benjamin, Raymond, Mathew and Alexander Zawacki as well as one other brother who died at birth. Visitation will be at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St (Rte. 195) Willimantic on Friday June 17th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. There will be a Mass of Christian Burial at St Joseph's Church, 99 Jackson St Willimantic at 10:00 AM on Saturday followed by burial at St. Joseph's Cemetery on Club Road , Windham. For online memorial guestbook, please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com .