Obituary of Stella F. Gretchen Drzewicki

Stella F. Gretchen Drzewicki, 78, of 79 Phelps Road, Middletown, died Monday, May 21, 2007 at the Newport Hospital. Born in Amsterdam, New York on February 28, 1929. She was a daughter of the late Stanley and Stella Kosinski Drzewicki. After graduating from the College of St. Rose in Albany, Gretchen entered the Novitiate, Maryknoll Sisters. Sr. Gretchen had spent more then 20 years as a missionary, working at the hospital that the Maryknoll Sisters had established in Pusan, Korea. She then returned to the Albany area and worked as a medical technician in Hematology at the Albany Medical Center Hospital. Several years ago she moved to Rhode Island and was employed as a medical technician at the Veterans? Medical Administration Center in Providence. Until recently, she had worked at the Aquidneck branch of the Rhode Island Blood Center. Gretchen is survived by her nephew Raymond S. Zierak of Hackettstown, N.J., her nieces Marilyn Betz of Fort Johnson, N.Y., Patricia McCarty of Long Valley, N.J. and grandnieces and grandnephews, Mary Christina Simpson of Providence, Heather Havette of Mableton, GA, Sean Zierak of Providence, Katie McCarty, Elizabeth McCarty and Kevin McCarty all of Long Valley, N.J. She was the sister of the late Edward Drzewicki, Phyllis Drzewicki. and Lucy Zierak. A Mass of Christian Burial will be Thursday, May 24, 2007 at St. Lucy?s Church, 909 West Main Rd., Middletown, R.I. at 9:00am. Visiting hours Wednesday, May 23, 2007 at the O?Neill-Hayes Funeral Home, 465 Spring Street, Newport, from 4:00 to 7:00pm. The committal service will be held at the convenience of the family at St. Stanislaus Cemetery in Amsterdam with the Rev. David Mickiewicz officiating. Donations may be made in Gretchen?s memory to the Maryknoll Sisters, Mother House, Ossining, NY 10562 or to the Rhode Island Blood Center, P.O. Box 9399, Providence, RI 02940-9399. Local funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Betz, Rossi & Bellinger Family Funeral Home, 171 Guy Park Avenue, Amsterdam, New York.