Hedwig Eve Kiecka

Mom's name evolved over her long life. Named Jadviga by her Polish parents Mary and Joseph Matosko, and affectionately called Jadja, in her teens she was tagged with the name Hattie, and is still lovingly referred to as Aunt Hattie by her nephews and nieces. Since then she has been formally known as Hedwig, and informally as Hedy. She was born in Newark, New Jersey and raised in Garfield and Passaic until she was five years old when she moved to Brooklyn where she attended the Polish school at St. John Cantius, then P.S. 149 in East New York. She married Michael Kentop at age 18 and bore her only child at 19, a son. Employed by the perfumer Jean Patou for 25 years, where she worked at a variety of jobs which included compounding the well known "Joy." In 1965 she married William Kiecka, Sr. and remained so until his death in 2003 when she moved to Seattle. She was loved for her beauty and her grace, and especially her loving nature, instantly touching all she met. Hedy is survived by her son Donald Kentop and his wife Carol, grandson Evan, his wife Tremaine, and great grandson Owen and his mother Stacie, and grandson Keith, and his wife Lisa, all of Seattle, as well ...[more]

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son William Kiecka, Jr. and his wife Pat of Staten Island, New York and grandchildren William Kiecka, his wife Rosemarie and great grandchildren Wesley, William and Lilah, and granddaughter Patricia Rocha, her husband Tony and great grandchildren Amanda, Jonathan and Dana.