Maria Magdalena Ptakowski (née Lewandowski) most recently of Forest, VA died at the age of 92, surrounded by local family on Monday, February 28, 2022. She was born in Dortmund, Germany and emigrated in November 1949 to the United States from the American Zone of Germany created in the aftermath of World War II. She became a long-time resident of Jamaica, NY. Maria had a love of learning. After raising her 7 children to adulthood, she was able to further her own formal education earning a BA in Liberal Studies and MS in Library and Information Science from St. John’s University where she worked as a Librarian for many years. Following this, she worked as a Law Librarian at Pace University also in New York City. She was the beloved wife of the late Jerzy Ptakowski and devoted mother to Roman and his wife Diane, Richard and his wife Margaret, George and his wife Barbara, John and his wife Tina, Krystyna, Mark and his wife Susan, and Anne Marie. She was preceded in death by her father, Jan Lewandowski; her mother, Stanislawa Lewandowski; and her sisters, Irene Piatas and Cecile Marek. She was blessed with 18 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren and will be missed by all. Her passing leaves a lasting void in the lives of her loved ones. A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m on Monday, March 7, 2022 at Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church Bedford, VA with Father Nixon Negparanon presiding. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church beginning at 10:00 a.m. Mrs. Ptakowski will be taken to Our Lady of Czestochowa Cemetery in Doylestown, PA for a Chapel Service at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, 2022 and then a burial will follow at 2:00 p.m. in the cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s association. Arrangements by Burch-Messier Funeral Home, Bedford, 540-586-7360
