Oscar read this eulogy on behalf of himself, Juda, Sara, Zygmunt and Beryl.
Six lucky kids knew Celina as Bubba. These are some thoughts from the 5 of us who grew up in Ottawa.
Bubba always made us a priority, starting from the day we were born. She always told us that as soon as she got news that a baby was coming, she was on the bus to Ottawa to spend a couple of weeks meeting her new grandchild and helping the growing family. We all share memories of Ottawa’s central bus terminal where we would eagerly await Bubba’s arrival on the Voyageur bus. Her face always lit up when she saw us. Every time we pass that grungy station we still have that memory of her.
And we delighted in visiting her! A huge part of our childhood was regular visits to Montreal to see Bubba.
Bubba’s apartment was our home away from home. We loved buzzing into apartment number 1006, where she would be waiting with the open door for our arrival. A milestone in Sara’s childhood was growing tall enough to push the 10 button in the elevator by herself. Bubba’s apartment was a place of warmth and comfort, where we played tic-tac-toe on the green velvet couch, watched the trains go by and the fire trucks in the station below, and lost countless card games and rummy cube matches to Bubba. We loved going with her on her daily walk to the Cote-St-Luc shopping centre, across the street to the park, or down the street to Malka, Maurice and Miriam’s apartment.
Looking back on it, we have no idea how all 7 Ottawa Strawczynskis all fit into Bubba’s 2 bedroom apartment. But when we did, it was always an adventure, and always so comforting to be together with her.
When we old enough, our parents would send us to Montreal for a week or two of summer sports camp. With my poor French the camp was a challenge, but staying with Bubba and having her guide us through the magical Metro was still a highlight of my summer.
When we visited, Bubba spoiled us kids with chocolate milk that she served us in heavy glasses, stove top grill cheeses, and her famous apple cake, the thought of which still makes our mouths water. (Actually, whether it was Bubba’s own food or going out to Carvelli’s, Cote-St-Luc BBQ or the McDonalds’ with its playground, many of our memories of Bubba have food involved.)
Later, some of us went to McGill and remember visiting with Bubba in her apartment as a comforting disconnect from student tlife.
For Bubba, life was to be lived to celebrate family, or at least that’s how it felt to us. She was always with us for holidays like Rosh Hashannah, Hanukkah, and Pesach. Bubba spoiled us at birthdays, graduations, and holidays. She went on exotic trips and always came back with something for us, like Russian dolls, t-shirts, jewellery for her granddaughters, and toys. She made a point of attending weddings, graduations, and the birth of grandchildren. She travelled to Toronto for the bris of her first great grand-child Max, even though by that point it was difficult for her. She sat next to Max the whole time, and beamed at him, thrilled to see the first of the next generation.
We learned so much from Bubba. Her family meant everything and she worked very hard to protect us. She modelled a strong sense of family unity which is still so clear to all of us.
Bubba valued hard work and was always proud to encourage our studies and celebrate our successes. She shared stories of her own career at the Jewish General and at the butcher shop. She was really proud to see us grow up and succeed in our careers and travels.
Bubba wanted to protect and comfort us, always. When Oscar was a baby, our mom once found her standing at this bedroom door in the middle of the night listening to make sure he was still breathing. As teenagers, we remember her standing at the window anxiously waiting for us to come home, no matter what the hour, and no matter that mom and dad had long since gone to bed.
Sara remembers visiting her in the hospital when she was a small kid. Bubba had been hit by a car on her way to work, and had multiple painful fractures. Sara was scared of the hospital and seeing Bubba in that state. Bubba’s response was to offer Sara chocolate and make sure she was OK. Just some of many examples of her protective nature.
The last years for Bubba were hard. A woman who lived so independently for so long could no longer live that way. We are extremely grateful for Dolly, Myrtle and Tina who were there for her and showed endless patience and tenderness towards her.
Even as her health was declining family still stayed #1 for Bubba. Her face lit up when her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren visited. Bubba always loved children and had a way of charming them. When Bubba met Ali, she held Ali in her arms while Max caressed Bubba’s hands and Ali held Bubba’s face.
We visited Bubba when Lilianna was young. Neither she nor Bubba were very mobile then, but they both made each other smile and laugh.
When great-grand- daughter Miya visited last year, they held hands and smiled at each other. When Miya later described her favourite part of her Montreal visit, it wasn’t the Biodome or Old Montreal – it was her time with Bubba.
We are going to miss her so much. We are so lucky to have had this woman modelling such love, care, and family unity to carry forward.