Krystyna Pacut (Janiec), 74, died peacefully, July 19, 2024, with family by her side in Iowa City following a sudden illness.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Road, is assisting the family.

Now let me tell you how this FORCE in our lives LIVED and the sacrifices she made for her family so they could live the American Dream!

Krystyna was born March 13, 1950 in Nisko, Poland to Kazimierz and Maria Janiec.  From the time she was very little she lived a life of farming that was good but also had its difficult times.  We cherish the stories she would tell us of those hardships and to be grateful for all the little things in life.  These stories would often come up during celebrations and Christmas when my mom remembers having fruit like oranges as a treat or the local store actually carrying some fresh bread and baked goods.  Stores were not lined up with items like they are here in the United States. Most items were rationed so they relied heavily on their farming skills to provide but she always talked about how lovely that simple life was.  She absolutely adored doing chores with her father and just being by his side.

In 1971, she moved to Vienna, Austria where she would eventually meet and marry her husband of 46 years, Jack (Kazimierz) Pacut in 1975.  Again, we remember the stories my mom would tell us of working odd jobs while in Vienna, barely making any money and sometimes living on two rolls and a pint of milk for a week. I suppose these and her childhood memories were what set the base for my mom to love to cook and always provide food not just for the people she loved but for anyone that might be hungry.  She would always say that it was a basic right to be able to eat and one of the worst feelings was to be hungry, especially as a child.  My mom would ALWAYS stop at any corner or street for anyone asking for help.  She didn’t need to know why they needed help, just that they needed it.

In 1975, Jack and Krystyna immigrated to the United States, seeking the American dream with $300 in their pockets and their daughter, Anna Danuta on their lap.  Upon entry they asked and were granted asylum (Poland was communist at the time, hence why they set up residency in Vienna).  Upon settling in Newark, New Jersey, both she and Jack became permanent residents and again worked several jobs to pay the bills while learning the English language as well.  We would often laugh about how I would say we grew up in the projects but it was the truth and was some of the best times of our lives.  The diversity and ability to live and love people of every color and race was instilled in us from a young age by our parents but particularly by my mom.  Her genuine love for the human soul is something I will forever be grateful for.  She eventually settled on what she would say was her dream job with some of her best friends.  She was a cook at the local hospital in Somerville, New Jersey when everything was made from scratch and she absolutely loved it.  In 1980, they would welcome my brother, Joseph Henry.

In 1987, they were given an opportunity to expand on that American dream even further and move to the Midwest.  Dubuque, Iowa to be exact and were actually able to purchase a home, with a pool!  With this move came more sacrifices of which my mom was always making for her family and she left her job to work on the line for the plastics company my father became a maintenance manager for in Peosta, IA, Captive Plastics now Berry.  Here we made our home that was always full of the absolute best parties, food, friends (the Polish Mafia my husband would call them), music and Polish traditions that at times I know was so much work for my mom to prepare for but she always had a smile on her face, unless my dad had too much vodka or scotch of course.

In the years following, there were graduations, a wedding and travel to Poland, even family coming to visit from Poland.  You see it was not as easy as just booking a flight to travel from Poland to the United States.  You had to apply for and be approved for a travel Visa or be lucky enough to win one in the lottery.  The pursuit of the American dream again came with sacrifices like leaving her family in Poland and only communicating via phone calls, cards and packages she would send with items not available to them in Poland yet readily available here.  My mom also had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and it is this battle that she fought day in and day out her whole remaining life that really made her stand out to be that force in my life. She taught me work ethic, love for family and friends, what is right from wrong and female empowerment.  She was always so proud of my accomplishment of becoming a nurse and working in Intensive Care and she made sure to let anyone she met know it.

In 2000, two of their biggest dreams came true.  My parents, including myself became US Citizens along with becoming grandparents to Liam Robert McComas.  In 2006, another dream came true when they welcomed granddaughter Emmy Krystyna McComas.  My mom adored and loved these kids with every single ounce of her soul.  There wasn’t anything they could do wrong in her eyes and she made sure to let them know it by letting them have all the full sugar sweet tea they ever wanted when visiting.  Even making a jug or two to send home with them because she knew I would never buy it.  She was so proud of these two and all their accomplishments and she made sure to let them know even up to her last day here with us on earth.

Upon retirement, life was filled with travel to all of the grandchildren’s activities, cooking, eating and Polish traditions at the holidays.  It’s these traditions that she instilled in us that will be missed but we will do our best to keep them alive.  Although, I am not sure I will ever be able to live up to and make her traditional white borscht at Easter or mashed potatoes but I will do my best.

With great memories came sorrow as well.  The passing of my father, Jack in September of 2021 followed shortly after by my brother Joey in March of 2023 really took a toll on my mother’s heart but as always, she picked herself up and fought through those tragedies to be present for our family.  She was fiercely independent and again the FORCE that kept us going.  She quickly learned how to use an iPhone after my brothers passing and our daily Facetime sessions began.  There wasn’t but maybe two days where we did not Facetime each other.  Her Facetime calls with Liam and Emmy were a highlight in her day and she continued to join me on the bleachers for all their activities.  Her love for my “Big Guy” Rob was immeasurable and she always told me how proud she was of him and how safe he always made her feel.  She loved him as her own son.  He was never introduced as “in law”.

Krystyna’s surviving family include daughter Anna (Rob) McComas, grandchildren Liam and Emmy, niece Beata and nephew Edek of Poland.

There will be a fun and casual Celebration of Life for my mom, dad and brother at a later date.  While this obituary is long, believe it or not, it still in no way tells my mother’s full story.  There is a reason why I call her our FORCE and there are no amount of words that will ever convey that level to anyone.  But what will help you understand is to ask us about her.  Ask us to tell you stories about her life.  Look and talk to our kids and you will see her in them.  She is a FORCE.  Until we meet again…. Muah!!