Krystyna Sklenarz Bokota

KRYSTYNA SKLENARZ BOKOTA, M.D. VALPARAISO, IN
Krystyna Sklenarz Bokota, M.D. (1933-2010), of Valparaiso, IN, passed away on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 after her long, painful but courageous battle with esophageal cancer. She was a native of Poland. In 1940, during World War II, she was deported like many other Poles to captivity in Siberia at age 6 with her mother and younger sister, suffering brutality and inhumanity at the hands of the Soviet Union and its secret police. She survived Siberia, but her sister, Barbara, age 3, did not. In 1942, Dr. Sklenarz was freed and evacuated to England, where she was schooled formally for the first time, learning French and English at a Convent run by French nuns. She eventually received her London University Matriculation, Oxford School Certificate with Honors, and her Royal Academy of Arts and Science Diploma. At 17, she studied at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland, and then emigrated to the U.S., studying at the Medical School of Marquette University, in Milwaukee. At 24, she was the youngest graduate of the Class of 1957 and one of only four women. She trained in Psychiatry under Bruno Bettelheim and others at the University of Chicago, the first and only woman in the 1958 Psychiatric Residency Program. She entered public service as Director of the Lake County Comprehensive Mental Health Clinic, servicing Northwest Indiana. Fifteen years later, she started her private practice in Psychiatry. She was on staff at St. Margaret Mercy Hospital in Dyer, St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago and the Charter Clinic in Hobart. She retired in 1997, after decades of practice and service to the community. Among her peers and patients, she enjoyed a sterling reputation, one based upon her immense caring, razor-sharp intellect, directness and integrity. Among her grandchildren, she was acclaimed as the greatest story teller. In some respects, Dr. Sklenarz was an anachronism by the end of the 20th century. She had a masterful grasp of psychopharmacology and the benefits of medication. But as a Freudian psychiatrist, she spent an hour or more with most of her patients, engaging in psychotherapy, personal discourse and interaction, hugs, and the occasional "kick-in-the-butt" as needed, even late at night. Outside of medicine, she loved to travel, visiting much of her beloved U.S., and also Canada, the Caribbean, and most of Europe. She planned trips with methodical research, meticulous planning, and marshalling of financial resources, resulting in wonderful trips and stays in castles, chateaux, famous hotels, and bed-and-breakfasts. She kept her travel experiences and memories in detailed travel diaries, written in her beautiful hand. She was a voracious reader and lover of music and art, turning part of her home into what her grandchildren call a "museum". Later in life, she penned her autobiography. In 1958, she married fellow Polish emigrant and the love of her life, Stanislaw Bokota, a business executive and later Director of the Chicago office of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce Foreign Commercial Service. Dr. Sklenarz is survived by her husband of 52 years, Stanislaw; two sons (both attorneys): Greg (Natalie) of Crown Point, IN and Paul (Wendy) of Irvine, CA; five grandchildren: Rachael, Larisa, Zach, Kyle, and Aniela; her brother: Alexander (Jane); and numerous nieces and nephews, all loved. The family extends its gratitude to all who expressed their love, care and support, and who helped her and her family in this difficult time, especially her two doctors: Michael Weiss and Jack Ziegler, who made extraordinary efforts in treating her and trying to preserve her life, VNA of Porter County and to her caregivers, especially Julie Yates, who spared no effort in making her emotionally and physically comfortable in the last weeks of her life. She will be greatly missed by all whose lives she ever touched. A memorial visitation will be held on Thursday, June 24, 2010 from 4:00 to 9:00 PM at Geisen Funeral-Cremation & Reception Centre (NOTE: NEW LOCATION- 2 blocks east of Broadway) at 606 E. 113th Ave., Crown Point, IN, with a prayer service at 5:00 PM with Fr. Douglas Mayer officiating. A memorial mass and inurnment will be held privately at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to either Medecins Sans Frontieres, 67-74 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8QX or Make-A-Wish Foundation, 2821 Emerywood Parkway, Richmond, VA 23294. To share a memory or send a condolence to the family, please visit the guestbook section on the obituary page at www.GeisenFuneralHome.com. For information call 219-663-2500.