Stella Walkowski recalled for her life of service as nurse, parish volunteer

Friday, Sep. 04, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY — After a career as a registered nurse and decades of volunteering at Saint Catherine of Siena Newman Center, Stella Vitulla Walkowski passed away Aug. 15, 2015. She was 102.

“One of my first memories [as a pastor] was seeing her smile,” as she greeted parishioners arriving for the Saturday vigil Mass and handed them a hymnal, said Dominican Father Peter Rogers, who was assigned to the Newman Center from 2005 to 2010. “What a wonderful, wonderful smile. … She was such a wonderful person in helping to make our community a place of welcome for everyone.” 

In his homily at the Aug. 25 funeral Mass, Fr. Peter described Walkowski’s life as filled with grace, and also was filled with service – service to country, service to the people of God and therefore service to God.”

During World War II, Walkowski was an instructor for the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps, which prepared the largest classes of student nurses in history for military and essential civilian nursing, and received a Certificate of Meritorious Service from the U.S. Public Health Service Surgeon General for her superior efforts as an instructor. She also nursed polio patients during the 1944 epidemic.

At the Newman Center, Walkowski regularly attended Mass, was a member of the Caring Ministry and served as designated coordinator of the parish volunteers at the St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen. In addition, she prepared sandwiches for the Salvation Army supper for the homeless, began a  volunteer service at the Society for the Blind Library, and was active in the Foster Arts, the Feed the Hungry Festival, and the Festival of Trees. She was an active participant in the Retired Newcomers Club and volunteered in various capacities at the 10th East Senior Care Center. 

In recognition of her service, Walkowski was named the parish’s 2002 Woman of the Year by the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.

“Stella, I think, helped many people to see Jesus in who she was and what she did,” Fr. Peter said.

Speaking at the Aug. 24 vigil service, Dominican Father Carl Schlichte, the Newman Center pastor from 2010 to 2015, recalled Walkowski as indomitable in the face of the challenges that came her way, and  “she did that with always a smile – if not an evil twinkle in her eye – and went on courageously with being and doing.” 

Walkowski was born on Jan. 7, 1913 in Pittsburgh, Penn., the seventh of nine children. In high school, she was a gymnast, ran track, and played volleyball and basketball. Stella graduated from the Duquesne University registered nurse program and practiced nursing in a variety of fields. 

She was preceded in death by her husband, Lt. Colonel Joseph A. Walkowski  (Sr.), a career officer in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps. 

She is survived by her son, Joseph A. Walkowski, Jr. (Cynthia) of Salt Lake City, Utah; granddaughter Whitney (David) Gdanski and great-grandson Joel David Gdanski of Duncan, Okla. 

A funeral Mass was celebrated Aug. 25 at Saint Catherine of Siena Newman Center. Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery.