Mary Jane Sledzieski
March 3, 1938 – Sept. 23, 2026
Mary Jane Sledzieski, born Mary Jane Pelc, passed away on Sept. 23, 2026, in Norwalk, Conn. She was 88 years old.
Mary was born on March 3, 1938, in Lviv, Poland, to Catherine and Walter Pelc. Her early childhood was shaped by the upheaval of World War II. After the war, she and her family spent time in a displaced persons camp before immigrating to the United States and settling in Riverhead.
In 1963, Mary married William Leo Sledzieski, with whom she shared nearly five decades of marriage until his death in 2012. Together they raised their two children, Kathy and Ron. Over the years, they lived in Norwalk and then Stamford, Conn. Mary and William eventually moved to Oxford Greens in Oxford, Conn., where they enjoyed being part of the community and formed many valued friendships.
Mary’s family was at the center of her life. She was a devoted stay-at-home mother during her children’s younger years and created a home in which her family was cared for and nurtured. Later in life, she worked in bookkeeping for several organizations.
In her healthier years, Mary loved being outdoors, particularly working in her garden and taking walks along the shore. She enjoyed playing pinochle with friends, but perhaps her favorite pastime was crocheting. Over the years, she made countless afghans, hats and scarves, many of which she gave to family members. Those handmade gifts remain tangible reminders of the care and love she put into the people around her.
Mary is survived by her children, Kathy Iannazzo and her husband, Steve, and Ron Sledzieski and his wife, Nana; her siblings, Michael Pelc and his wife, Darlene, Sophie Pelc, and Stanley Pelc; her grandchildren, Nicholas Iannazzo and his wife, Lauren, Melissa Gardella and her husband, Rafael, Samuel Sledzieski, Sydney Sledzieski, and Summer Sledzieski; and her great-grandchildren, Genevieve and Eloise Gardella, and Roman and Crew Iannazzo.
Mary was a survivor. As a young girl, she endured the upheaval of World War II, displacement from her homeland, and the journey to begin a new life in America. When she was diagnosed with a debilitating lung disease and told she might not live beyond her 30s, she proved that prognosis wrong. Decades later, when she was diagnosed with a serious kidney disease and once again faced an uncertain future, she persevered.
Mary didn’t simply survive. She thrived. She built a life, raised a family, worked, formed lasting friendships, and lived to see her family grow to include five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Through challenges that spanned nearly nine decades, she demonstrated a quiet resilience that became one of the defining qualities of her life.
She will be remembered most for her nurturing nature, the home she created, the things she made with her own hands, and above all, the generations of family she loved and cared for.
A wake will be held on Thursday, Oct. 1, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Magner Funeral Home in Norwalk, Conn. A funeral mass will be held on Friday, Oct. 2, at 10 a.m. at St. Matthew Church in Norwalk, followed by a private family burial on Saturday morning.
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