Grazyna Witek

Grazyna Witek passed away peacefully last week and joined her loved ones up in heaven. She was 67 years old, born on March 10, 1958 in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Poland and passed away on Wednesday October 1, 2025 in her home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. She was the daughter of Wieslawa and Mieczyslaw Przybylski.

Growing up in Poland, Grazyna always had an artistic sensibility and a keen eye for color and beauty. Leaving home as a teenager, Grazyna went to art school to pursue her love and talent for the arts. After school, she began working in the municipal art industry where, through friends, she eventually met Tadeusz Witek. Grazyna and Tadeusz quickly became inseparable. Together they ran their own business painting pottery and signage and adding beauty to their surroundings through their shared love of the arts.

After marrying, Grazyna gave birth to her first child Alexandra (Ola) Witek in 1983. Looking to flee communist Poland and provide a better life for his new family, Tadeusz immigrated to the United States and settled in New York City. In Brooklyn, Tadeusz found community in other Polish immigrants and after 2 years had finally saved up enough money to bring over his wife and daughter.

Grazyna came to the United States in 1986 where she helped build a wonderful and loving home for her family and two years later she welcomed her second child, Lukas Witek. With two children, Grazyna and Tadeusz found comfort and support in their Polish neighbors and friends, many of which would become a second family to them and with which she would maintain close friendships with for the rest of her life.

As years went on, Grazyna and her family would eventually move to the upper west side of Manhattan which would become their home for the next 30 years. Here, the family

would grow, and through her warmth and open spirit, Grazyna would create a new community with her neighbors and local families. The family enjoyed living by Riverside park where they would frequently go for walks with their dog, Billy.

Grazyna was an avid cook who loved to make meals for family and friends and host loved ones for holidays and gatherings. Being around people always gave her joy and you could always tell she was in a room by her infectious laugh. She was an animal lover as well and could always be found next to a dog if there was one in the room. She loved their steady comfort and gave them all her love and attention and eventually became dog mom to a few of them. Over the years the Witek family has adopted and given their love to Billy, Hooligan, and Grace.

In Poland and in the US, Grazyna was a wonderful artist. She created beautiful paintings on Polish pottery and also worked in mediums such as pencil, charcoal, acrylic, oil and sewing. An expert seamstress, she custom made many of her own dresses and clothes for her children. Her love for the arts translated into homemade gifts and handmade costumes and crafts for both her children and grandchildren.

Grazyna was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, friend, and neighbor. Her favorite and most cherished role was that of Babcia. Being reunited with her beloved husband, daughter and grandchildren is such a gift and we are comforted in her peace.

Grazyna is survived by her loving son, Lukas, his wife Emma and her soon to be new grandchild coming in March. She is also survived by her sister, Urszula Zarzecka, and her cousin Iwona Malitek and her family. Through immigration to New York, a close knit group of neighbors turned lifelong friends are also considered family and each one of us will bear a hole in our hearts for her absence. Her family is comforted in knowing she went peacefully and was received warmly by her loved ones and felt the embrace of those she has long missed. Those of us left here on earth are grateful for her peace and an end to her suffering. She will be forever missed, especially by her son and daughter-in-law who fondly referred to her as Mamús.