Anna Nowak

Anna Nowak (Hotca)

September 27, 1930 to January 29, 2024

This world has lost an amazing woman, and a lioness of the greatest generation – Anna Nowak (93) passed away peacefully

at her home in Taylor, Michigan surrounded by many loving family and friends.

Anna was the longstanding matriarch of an expansive and growing family. She leaves behind an impactful legacy of love and service which will live forever through the legions of people who were blessed to cross paths with this widely beloved

woman. She was known by many loving names – Mom, Mama, Mamusiu, Grammy, and Nani.

Through sheer strength of character, faith, and will, Anna turned an impoverished and extremely difficult childhood into an incredibly accomplished life journey as loving wife, mother, student, registered nurse, grandmother, great grandmother, friend, and master gardener. Her life was a story of how the power of love and an indominable spirit can overcome all circumstances and situations, no matter the hand one is dealt in this world.

Anna’s life was one of strong belief in her Catholic faith, a deep love for her family and friends, and a relentless positivity and

energy for service to others – working to make everything in daily life for those around her better. She genuinely had time for

everyone.

Born in Detroit, Michigan just before the Great Depression in 1930, Anna was one of 6 children (Margaret, Florence, John,

Anna, Irene, Mary) born to John and Margaret Hotca (nee Papp). John had immigrated to the US from Romania at age 17, while Margaret was from Cleveland, Ohio. Anna’s early life was nomadic and chaotic, characterized in part by having to move from school to school on an almost monthly basis. Anna met the love of her life Joseph Nowak (d.2016) in September 1946 at the Sports Sandwich Shop in the Delray section of Detroit where she was working as a waitress, and where Joe would frequent daily after having returned home from serving in the European Theatre for the army during WWII.

They were married a year later on October 4, 1947 at Saint John Cantius Catholic Church in Delray. This marked the start of a

remarkable 68 year love affair and family journey that resulted in six loving children – Irene, Joseph (Mary Lou), Andy

(Remona), Frank (d.1957), Jo Ann (Nick), and Steve (Mara). Anna and Joe’s long marriage, and their deep commitment and

love for their faith, for each other, and for their family was a blessing that significantly and positively impacted the lives of

countless people along the way.

In addition to her children, Anna leaves behind 10 grandchildren (Andy, Jason, BethAnn, Angelo, Kristina, Nicole, Peter, Heather, Kyle, Emma), and 15 great-grandchildren (Julianne, Kylie, Alyssa, Andrew, Paige, Sara, Curtis, Eleanor, Irina, Donavan, Annabelle, Nicholas, Angelina, Joseph, +TBD!). She was also an influential figure in the lives of numerous extended family and friends.

Anna was the glue and the connective tissue for and between the expanses of this large and close family. Everyone drew upon her strength continuously. Her passion was to unite people, and she rejoiced in being surrounded by loved ones, especially at large family gatherings.

An incredible force of personality, Anna continued to find different ways to serve others late in life. After working as a

stay-at-home mother who successfully raised a large family, she decided to pursue a second career as a nurse. Unfortunately, as a youngster she was forced to leave school in 10th grade in order to work. So, at the advanced age of 53 she pursued an unfinished dream, and proceeded in succession to earn a GED, a high school diploma, an LPN degree, and a RN degree, with a certification in Gerontology. She used these skills to begin a long and impactful career in geriatric nursing, most notably

becoming assistant director of Oakwood Commons Assisted Living in Dearborn, from which she retired in 2003 at age 73.

“I love you more” was Anna’s signature message to all those close to her, and it held a deep meaning to all who heard it. She

reveled in creating new relationships, and in strengthening existing ones. She was a prodigious letter writer who used pen

and paper to send thousands of handwritten notes out, constantly communicating with legions of people, especially grandchildren who were in school. If you were fortunate enough to be on Anna’s letter list, you received weekly letters religiously. She was a voracious reader, and had a love for gardening – she was a certified Master Gardener and long-time member of the

Taylor Garden Club. Anna was an outstanding cook who would make incredible Polish dishes, and produce thousands of

Christmas cookies annually, distributing them to numerous family and friends as precious pieces of gold! She also loved to

travel, and to attend the activities of all the children within the family.

Anna was a tender and loving soul with an oversized heart, a sharp mind, and an indominable spirit. She had incredible

physical and mental stamina, and a resolve to make a positive impact on the world with every single moment of her time. She

was an unstoppable force of nature and heroine to many...this world is a lesser place today without her. But she lives on in

myriad ways as part of the many people she touched.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Michigan, 2366 Oak Valley Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48103.