Around 9pm, on the 10th of October 2024, as the northern lights illuminated the night sky of Northern Alabama, Mrs. Patricia S Guzinsky passed peacefully in her sleep. Her death followed the death of her husband of 62 years, Leon Guzinsky, which was just a few short months earlier.
Mrs. Guzinsky was born in Long Beach California in July of 1938. Like her husband, she was a child born during a time of war and her father, Henry Joseph Shotter, was deployed as a member of the US Navy.
Mrs. Guzinsky married Lt. Leon Guzinsky in 1962 on Redstone Arsenal where they moved into a quaint home in SE Huntsville and raised three sons: David, Daniel, and Phillip. Mrs. Guzinsky was the President of the Redstone Arsenal International Woman’s Club. She was a semi-professional tennis player, having won many local, state, and regional championships. Mrs. Guzinsky was also a private tennis instructor as well as the Tennis Coach for Calhoun Community College and Randolph School. In her later years, Mrs. Guzinsky gained a keen interest in antiques and opened up a very successful antique store. She also worked at and retired from NASA.
Mrs. Guzinsky’s passion was her children and her grandson. She made every effort to introduce them into sports, academia, and the arts. She ensured her children learned tennis. She introduced competitive swimming to her children and could be seen (and heard) back and forth on the apron of the pool shouting for one of her children to PULL, PULL HARDER as they would be swimming in a meet. Mrs. Guzinsky’s grandson, Richard Alexander, meant the world to her. From a very early age they would spend summers together reading, drawing, shopping, and more. Their favorite books were the Harry Potter series and over the years Mrs. Guzinsky read to and ultimately Alex Guzinsky read back and completed every single book as they were released. Even in her final months, every time Alexander would walk into her room her eyes would light up and she would beam from ear to ear with the greatest of pleasure in seeing him.
Mrs. Guzinsky’s health was poor in her later years. She was nearly deaf, could not walk, had a mild case of dementia but knew everyone she interacted with. In these later years, she was dutifully cared for by her husband and when he was physically no longer able to care for her, the wife of her youngest son spent day and night caring for Mrs. Guzinsky up and to the night she passed. She lived to see her children and grandchild grow, she lived to see her husband of 62 years pass on, and she eventually grew tired. She closed her eyes and went to sleep. She will be forever missed.
Mrs. Guzinsky is survived by her three sons (David, Daniel, and Phillip) and her grandson (Alexander).
May God watch after her and shepherd her soul into his kingdom.
Visitation will be held Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. followed by the funeral mass at 11:30 a.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
