1932
Teresa
2025
Teresa Kopinski
June 4, 1932 — May 19, 2025
Teresa Kopinski (nee Wierzba), of Norridge, passed away on Monday May 19th 2025 at the age of 92. Teresa was the beloved wife of the late Charles "Karol" Kopinski for 61 years. Loving mother of Anna T. (Andrew) Oosterbaan and Andrew C. Kopinski. Dear grandmother of Eion Oosterbaan. She is survived by her older brother Edward. Her brother Romuald predeceased her as did her parents Stanislaw and Paulina, her beloved grandmother Michalina, Aunt Zofia, Uncle Czeslaw, and Aunt Jadzia.
Teresa was born in Wilno, Poland (now Lithuania) on June 4, 1932 where she received her baptism initiating her membership in the Roman Catholic Church. She loved visiting her much loved grandmother Michaelina Szlennik’s large farm. Unfortunately, this did not last long. She was deported to Siberia, in what is now Kazakhstan, before age 8 on April 13, 1940. She and her family had to endure starvation after Operation Barbarossa began on June 22, 1941. The family left the Soviet Union in August 1943 thanks to the formation of the Polish Second Corps commanded by General Anders, which her father and uncle served in. The Second Corps became part of the British Eighth Army and fought in Italy, most notably at Monte Casino. The family left the Soviet Union through Iran and Iraq and Pakistan briefly before going on to live near the shores of Lake Victoria in British Uganda for 5 1/2 years at Camp Koja where she received a solid education starting at age 10 while overcoming malaria multiple times. She received the sacrament of first communion in Karachi, Pakistan (then British India) and the sacrament of confirmation in Uganda. Her family lived in the United Kingdom for four years reuniting with her father after 9 years before finally immigrating to Chicago thanks to the Refugee Relief Act of 1952. Her first years in Chicago included setting bank employee records when manually clearing checks while working at American National Bank, First National Bank, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Initially, she hoped to return to a free Poland very proud of her Polish heritage and did not plan to become a citizen. She attended Loyola University and helped establish the teaching of the Polish language at the University in its first years, which continues to this day. She had the honor to jointly interview the leader of the Polish Underground Army and the Warsaw Uprisal General T. Bor Komorowski for a Polish Youth Magazine. Then, she met her future husband Charles (Karol) in Chicago. Their courtship and first years of marriage were dominated by a love of dancing which continued for decades. After two months they were engaged and within a year together they received the Sacrament of Marriage at St. Helen’s church in 1956. This placed her in a rare group of people who received five sacraments on four continents. They purchased their first home, a two flat in the Lincoln / Peterson area in 1957. That year she also proudly became an American citizen, with strong encouragement by her bosses at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. In 1965, they built their forever home in Norridge where she would live for nearly 60 years. Teresa and her family were founding parishioners at Our Lady Mother of the Church, which included attending masses at Kane Liquor Store while it was being built. She was a proud Pennoyer Hawk mom for 18 consecutive years, which included time as a volunteer teachers aide for kindergarteners and the art class, where the children loved her. After her family lost its wealth during the war, she was very supportive of her children’s education. She was a great cook and was known for many kinds of Polish food, especially her famous chocolate layer cake. She worked very hard to share her cooking when she hosted large parties in her basement in the 1970s and 1980s, including her parents' 50th wedding anniversary. Her hobbies included gardening and picking blueberries in Michigan and Indiana for many years. She loved to go to the beach, whether by a pond, lake, or ocean, at times every weekend if possible. She also enjoyed boating and fishing in Wisconsin, and campfires (which she enjoyed since her Polish Girl Scout Days) and loved cats and dogs who loved her back. Coal, the family dog, kept her constant bedside company during her final hours at her home as her epic journey ended after nearly 93 years.
Visitation for Teresa will take place on Tuesday, May 27, 2025 from 5:00 pm until 8:30 pm at Cumberland Chapels 8300 W. Lawrence Ave. Norridge, Il. Funeral Wednesday, beginning at the funeral home at 9:30 am and will then proceed to Our Lady Mother of the Church where Mass of Christian burial will take place at 10:30 am. Fr. Rev. Jacek Dada officiating. Interment will follow at St. Adalbert Cemetery in Niles, Il.
Teresa was born in Wilno, Poland (now Lithuania) on June 4, 1932 where she received her baptism initiating her membership in the Roman Catholic Church. She loved visiting her much loved grandmother Michaelina Szlennik’s large farm. Unfortunately, this did not last long. She was deported to Siberia, in what is now Kazakhstan, before age 8 on April 13, 1940. She and her family had to endure starvation after Operation Barbarossa began on June 22, 1941. The family left the Soviet Union in August 1943 thanks to the formation of the Polish Second Corps commanded by General Anders, which her father and uncle served in. The Second Corps became part of the British Eighth Army and fought in Italy, most notably at Monte Casino. The family left the Soviet Union through Iran and Iraq and Pakistan briefly before going on to live near the shores of Lake Victoria in British Uganda for 5 1/2 years at Camp Koja where she received a solid education starting at age 10 while overcoming malaria multiple times. She received the sacrament of first communion in Karachi, Pakistan (then British India) and the sacrament of confirmation in Uganda. Her family lived in the United Kingdom for four years reuniting with her father after 9 years before finally immigrating to Chicago thanks to the Refugee Relief Act of 1952. Her first years in Chicago included setting bank employee records when manually clearing checks while working at American National Bank, First National Bank, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Initially, she hoped to return to a free Poland very proud of her Polish heritage and did not plan to become a citizen. She attended Loyola University and helped establish the teaching of the Polish language at the University in its first years, which continues to this day. She had the honor to jointly interview the leader of the Polish Underground Army and the Warsaw Uprisal General T. Bor Komorowski for a Polish Youth Magazine. Then, she met her future husband Charles (Karol) in Chicago. Their courtship and first years of marriage were dominated by a love of dancing which continued for decades. After two months they were engaged and within a year together they received the Sacrament of Marriage at St. Helen’s church in 1956. This placed her in a rare group of people who received five sacraments on four continents. They purchased their first home, a two flat in the Lincoln / Peterson area in 1957. That year she also proudly became an American citizen, with strong encouragement by her bosses at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. In 1965, they built their forever home in Norridge where she would live for nearly 60 years. Teresa and her family were founding parishioners at Our Lady Mother of the Church, which included attending masses at Kane Liquor Store while it was being built. She was a proud Pennoyer Hawk mom for 18 consecutive years, which included time as a volunteer teachers aide for kindergarteners and the art class, where the children loved her. After her family lost its wealth during the war, she was very supportive of her children’s education. She was a great cook and was known for many kinds of Polish food, especially her famous chocolate layer cake. She worked very hard to share her cooking when she hosted large parties in her basement in the 1970s and 1980s, including her parents' 50th wedding anniversary. Her hobbies included gardening and picking blueberries in Michigan and Indiana for many years. She loved to go to the beach, whether by a pond, lake, or ocean, at times every weekend if possible. She also enjoyed boating and fishing in Wisconsin, and campfires (which she enjoyed since her Polish Girl Scout Days) and loved cats and dogs who loved her back. Coal, the family dog, kept her constant bedside company during her final hours at her home as her epic journey ended after nearly 93 years.
Visitation for Teresa will take place on Tuesday, May 27, 2025 from 5:00 pm until 8:30 pm at Cumberland Chapels 8300 W. Lawrence Ave. Norridge, Il. Funeral Wednesday, beginning at the funeral home at 9:30 am and will then proceed to Our Lady Mother of the Church where Mass of Christian burial will take place at 10:30 am. Fr. Rev. Jacek Dada officiating. Interment will follow at St. Adalbert Cemetery in Niles, Il.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Teresa Kopinski, please visit our flower store.
Service Schedule
Past Services
Visitation
Cumberland Chapels
Prayers and Final Viewing
Cumberland Chapels
Funeral Mass
Our Lady Mother of the Church
Guestbook
Visits: 0
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors