Waterbury Nora Y. Borowski, 93, passed away following a sudden and brief illness on Friday, April 7, 2017. She was the wife of the late Edward J. Borowski with whom she shared 64 years of marriage before his passing in 2009. Nora was a beautiful young woman when she married the movie-star handsome boy next door in 1945, when Ed returned from serving in World War II. Together they were the classic example of what journalist Tom Brokaw described as the Greatest Generation. Nora was born on January 24, 1924, to the late Thomas and Rosalia (Handziak) Yasinski. She was passionate about her Polish ancestry and was a long-time communicant of St. Stanislaus Church. Following her husbands passing in 2009 and until the time of her own death at 93, Nora continued to maintain the home that they built and shared, routinely trimming hedges, tending her gardens and scraping and painting exterior window trim as needed, and, of course, driving her SUV to errands and grocery shopping. She was single-mindedly devoted to the care and upbringing of her 3 children, and, over the years, also took on the care of her mother-in-law and father-in-law until their deaths and the care of her own dear mother, to whom she was known affectionately as Nadia. The exceptional bedside care that she gave to her husband, Edward, in his final year of life will always be admired by her children. Nora was a homemaker in the early years but went to work when her youngest child entered high school. She continued to work full-time and often 6 days a week, going to work even in the stormiest of weather, until she was 78 years old, and only retired then because the business closed. She was very proud of the fact that major customers, such as General Motors and NASA, would only accept for delivery the product that she had personally inspected for quality. But by far her proudest achievement was the success and well-being of her children. For many years, Nora and Ed enjoyed boating and swimming from their cottage on Lake Quassapaug. This was the site of many happy outings with their children and family dog. Nora was instrumental and worked tirelessly in support of her husbands mid-life career in elected office. During this same time, she became active as a reading instructor in a literacy program whose mission it was to teach teenagers and young adults to read and write to enable them to earn their GED and advance employment opportunities. Nora made this commitment to volunteer work because in her words she felt that her family had been blessed and wanted to give back. Nora is survived by her daughter, Carole F. Longe, and her fiance, James Whitney of Westborough, MA; her sons, Kenneth J. Borowski, and his wife Cheryl, of Cheshire, CT; and Martin J. Borowski, of Wilmington, DE. In addition, she was the loving and beloved grandmother to 6 grandchildren of which only one was biological, but Nora opened her heart to 5 others who joined the family through adoption or marriage. Her much-loved grandchildren include: Ava Rose, Shane, Cody, Miguel, Jovanny and Alexander. Nora is further survived by several nieces and nephews and extended family, most notably Jo-Ann Birkenberger and her husband, Adolph, of Wolcott, CT; Cynthia Legg and her husband, Ray, of Naugatuck, CT; and Bruce Borowski of Westerly, RI. Including her husband, Edward, and her parents, Thomas and Rosalia, Nora was predeceased by her sister, Sophie Morrison, and her brother, Joseph Yasinski, who perished tragically in an accident in the early 1940s. His passing remained a source of deep sadness for Nora for all of her life. Nora will be remembered for her determination, sharp mind and strong awareness of current events, her strong work ethic and unselfish devotion to her family. A calling hour will be held on Wednesday, April 12, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at Woodtick Memorial, 420 Woodtick Road, Wolcott. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, 74 West Main Street, Waterbury, at 9:30 a.m. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery.

Service Information Visitation Wednesday April 12, 2017 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM 420 Woodtick Rd Wolcott, CT 06716 --> Visitation Wednesday April 12, 2017 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM 420 Woodtick Rd. Wolcott, CT 06716 --> Funeral Mass Wednesday April 12, 2017 9:30 AM Basilica of The Immaculate Conception 74 West Main St. Waterbury, CT 06702 --> Service Wednesday April 12, 2017 9:30 AM Basilica of The Immaculate Conception 74 West Main St. Waterbury, CT 06702 --> Cemetery Calvary Cemetery 2324 East Main Street Waterbury, CT 06702 -->