Anne M. (Buynicki) Bannish, 91, died Friday, January 25, 2019, in Baystate Medical Center and is now with her husband and soul-mate, Tom, whose photograph she kept on her pillow since his passing in 1999. Ann was born in Southwick, MA on June 10, 1927, to the late Victor and Stephania (Kuczynski) Buynicki. Her marriage in 1946 brought her just down the road to the M.J. Bannish Farm in Westfield, where the young couple lived until finding their own place, near enough to the farm which continued to be their livelihood.
Ann was a communicant of Holy Trinity Church, a renowned baker/cheesecake crafter for its bake sales, and a member of the Rosary Society. When her two youngest sons were on the Westfield High football team, her homemade donuts were a major fund-raiser during the games. As a farmer’s wife, her time in the kitchen also included canning hundreds (Yes, hundreds) of quarts of tomatoes, tomato juice, peaches and pears, and filling the freezer with bags of corn and string beans.
Her biggest joy was her family, even though that meant patiently putting up with all their pets – cats, dogs, peacocks, ducks for the irrigation pond, Henrietta the chicken, and Bobby the goose. Her patience was also a big help in withstanding the glaringly loud polka music that Tom listened to every Sunday. Always a big fan of the music of Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians and Jim Nabors, she also greatly liked the artists her children listened to: Kingston Trio, Chad Mitchell Trio, John Denver, and the “Mom always liked you best” Smothers Brothers.
She is survived by her seven children, their spouses, and her widowed daughter-in-law: Marcy (Bannish) and Dave Caulkins of Springfield VT; Veronica (Bannish) and Les Wojcik of Agawam; Thomas Bannish, Jr., of Westfield and Kristin Hodges of Agawam; David Bannish and Ruth Aborjaily, Diane (Bannish) Sutton and Larry Griffith, and Victor’s widow Joann Bannish all of Westfield; Martin Bannish and wife Sandra of Brookfield, MA; and Jeffrey Bannish of Anchorage, Alaska. She has 14 grandchildren: Marcy’s Rowan; Tom Jr.’s Ari, Owen, Heidi and Nathaniel; Veronica’s Scott; Marty’s Kristy and Martin, Jr.; David’s David Jr., Catherine, and Andrew; and Diane’s Tal, Gwyon and Aneurin. Her seven great grandchildren are split between Massachusetts (Scott’s Cayden, Joey and Mikey; and Martin Jr.’s Madison) and Tucson, AZ (Tal’s Minerva, Calliope, and Linus).
Ann is the last of the Victor Buynicki children, having been pre-deceased by sisters Irene “Tillie” Buynicki, Frances Brown, and Florence Holmes; and brothers Unifree, Peter, Paul and Albert Buynicki. The funeral Mass will be held on Friday, February 1 at 10:30 a.m. in Holy Trinity Church. Calling hours will precede the Mass on Friday morning at the Firtion-Adams Funeral Service, 76 Broad Street from 8:30 am till 10 am.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Westfield Technical Academy Horticulture Department, 33 Smith Avenue, Westfield, MA 01085.
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