Obituary of MARCELLA VARACHKA

MARCELLA VARACHKA With great sadness, we announce that Marcella Varachka (Piscova) (pen name Mieroslava Tatranska), born March 1, 1939, left us on December 29, 2015, just a few months short of her 77th Birthday. Marcella emigrated from Slovakia in 1968 for political reasons. She made Montreal her home for a couple of years. She used to mention a lot how cold it was there and how tough it was for her to survive the winters without proper clothes to keep her warm. While growing up, Marcella dreamed of being in Canada and marrying a lumberjack. This came true when she met her husband Cyril (deceased in 1993) in Montreal through the Czechoslovak community. She moved to Winnipeg to be with him. Marcella was a very talented writer and poet. She published various books, wrote plays and enriched the Slovak nation with her courage and belief in freedom. She was a free spirit. She enjoyed traveling, fashion, and art. Her heart was of gold and she helped many immigrants. She missed her family. She was a true friend. Over the years, she lost many of her friends and towards the end was bed bound. During most of her older life she suffered great physical pain and many stays in the hospital. Marcella was a fighter and never gave up, despite hard circumstances. Marcella was a true inspiration and will be greatly missed by her close friends and family. We thank the staff and care team at Deer Lodge Centre who cared for Marcella the last few difficult years. Funeral Mass will take place on Friday, January 15 at 11:00 a.m. in St. Bernadette Roman Catholic Church, 820 Cottonwood Rd. with Fr. Peter Genger presiding. As per Marcella’s wishes, her ashes will be interred next to her late husband Cyril at a later date. Rest in peace, dear Marcellka. From her sister in Slovakia (translation follows): Marcela Varachka, rodená Piscová sa narodila v Bratislave 1.marca 1939 ako druhá dcéra zo štyroch dcér svojich rodičov. Už to, že sa narodila v roku ,v ktorom presne 7 mesiacov po jej narodení vypukla 2.svetová vojna, pravdepodobne predznamenalo aj jej pohnutý život. Vyrastala v rodine s nadmierou lásky avšak s neprajnosťou doby, ktorá neumožnila jej citlivej duši uplatniť sa v oblasti, ktorá jej bola najbližšia. V oblasti umenia a predovšetkým poézie. A tak po nie želanom štúdiu na zdravotnej škole nastúpila pracovať do oblasti zdravotníctva. Svoje umelecké sklony však nedokázala poprieť. Stala sa prispievateľkou do rôznych literárnych časopisov, ktoré v tej dobe, začiatkom 60tych rokov boli ostrovčekami akej-takej osobnej slobody a v ktorých neprekážali kádrové vady a nedostatky. Túžba po slobode a uplatnení a odmietanie ideologických klišé boli pravdepodobne aj hlavným stimulom, pre ktorý sa Marcela po ruskej invázii v Auguste 1968 rozhodla nevrátiť sa viac domov a pripojila sa tak k mohutnej vlne „poaugustových“ emigrantov. Mala vtedy 29 rokov, duši si niesla sklamanie z neúspešného manželstva avšak zároveň bola plná elánu a očakávaní z nového života. A tak sa po pobyte vo Francúzsku v septembri 1968 viac nevrátila do okupovaného Československa. Vtedy naša rodina vonkoncom nemohla tušiť, že jej rozhodnutie nevrátitť sa prinesie vzájomnú odlúčenosť na desiatky rokov. V októbri 1968 sme sa od Marceliných priateľov dozvedeli, že Marcela už má vybavené všetky formality a v najbližších dňoch odlieta do Kanady, ktorá v tom čase ústretovo prijímala ľudí z bývalého Československa. Jej rozhodnutie odísť práve do Kanady do značnej miery motivovala aj jej znalosť francúzskeho jazyka, v ktorom od detstva vynikala. A tak sa Marcela ocitla v Quebecu, kde si našla prácu v laboratóriu na tamojšej univerzite. Keď si však našla partnera, svojho budúceho manžela Cyrila Varachku, tak vonkoncom neváhala a prišla za ním do Winnipegu. Našli sa tak dve spriaznené duše, ktoré obe mali korene na Slovensku a ktoré si dokázali vzájomne pomáhať v cudzom prostredí. Marcelino básnické pero nezaháľalo ani vo Winnipegu. Treba spomenúť, že v roku 1987 publikovala pod pseudonymom Mieroslava Tatranská zbierku poézie „Dotyky a rany“. Táto zbierka bola jej intímnou výpoveďou o svete od obdobia rannej mladosti až po obdobie emigrácie, v ktorom zažila veľa krutých chvíľ. O umeleckej hodnote jej zbierky svedčí aj skutočnosť, že bola zaradená do antológie exilovej poézie. Marcela milovala život a bola vždy spoločenský živel. Dodnes ľudia, ktorí ju na Slovensku poznali z mladších rokov spomínajú ako na človeka s veľkým zmyslom pre humor, ktorý nepokazil žiadnu zábavu. Roky osamelosti a najmä početné choroby samozrejme oslabili tieto jej danosti a to najmä po odchode jej manžela Cyrila. Napriek tomu, Marcela niesla svoj údel statočne a nereptala, k čomu jej pomáhala aj hlboká viera v Boha. A okruh dobrých priateľov a priateliek, ktorí jej pomáhali prekonávať osamelosť a každodenné strasti života. Vieme, že sme Marcelke chýbali a ona chýbala nám. Ale osud nám nedoprial, aby sme aj v dospelosti kráčali popri sebe, ako tomu bolo za nášho šťastného detstva s milujúcimi rodičmi. Ona nemohla prísť za nami na Slovensko a my sme nemohli prísť za ňou do Kanady. A keď to už možné bolo, tak prišlo to pre nás všetkých už príliš neskoro. V Marcele odišiel dobrý, čestný a veľkorysý človek. Naša milujúca sestrička. Nech Ti je kanadská zem ľahká. Kus z Teba však na Slovensku navždy zostane. Marcela Varachka, born Piscová, was born in Bratislava on 1 March 1939, the second of four daughters to their parents. Exactly seven months after her birth World War II broke out, probably a herald of her eventful life. She grew up in a family with an excess of love but difficult times which did not allow her to exercise a sensitive soul which was closest to her real self, in art and especially poetry. So, despite her artistic desires, she studied nursing and started work in the medical field. Her artistic leanings, however, could not be subdued. She became a contributor to various literary journals, which in the early 60s became her artistic outlets and a limited personal freedom. The desire for freedom and the rejection of current political ideologies were probably the main stimulus for which Marcela, after the Russian invasion in August 1968, decided not to return home more and joined a massive wave of "Post-August" emigrants. She was 29 years old; her soul bore the disappointment of a failed marriage but also was full of enthusiasm and expectations of a new life. And so after a stay in France in September 1968, she did not return to occupied Czechoslovakia. Then our family absolutely could not have suspected that this decision would bring separation for decades. In October 1968, we learned from Marcela’s friends learned that she had completed all the formalities required to travel to Canada in the next few days, which at that time was welcoming people from the former Czechoslovakia. Her decision to leave to Canada was largely motivated by her knowledge of French, which was excellent since childhood. And so Marcela lived in Quebec, where she found work in a university laboratory. But when she found a partner, her future husband Cyril Varachka, she did not hesitate and came with him to Winnipeg. Thus they found two kindred spirits whom both had roots in Slovakia, and that were able to help each other in a foreign country. Marcela’s poetic pen was not idle in Winnipeg. It should be noted that in 1987, she published under the pseudonym Mieroslava Tatranská a collection of poetry, "touching a wound." This collection was her intimate portrait of the world from the time of early youth to the period of emigration, during which she experienced many bitter moments. The artistic value of its collection is also evidenced by the fact that it has been included in anthologies of poetry in exile. Marcela loved life and was always a social element. To this day, people who knew her in Slovakia from younger years remembered as a woman with a great sense of humour, adding to any fun. Years of loneliness, numerous diseases and especially the death of her husband Cyril weakened her. Nevertheless, Marcela accepted her fate bravely and without complaint, helped by her deep faith in God. She had a circle of good friends and girlfriends who helped her overcome the loneliness and the daily tribulations of life. We missed Marcelka and know she missed us. But fate decided otherwise for us. As adults we were walking side by side, as it was during our happy childhood with loving parents. She could not come to Slovakia for us and we could not come for her to Canada. And when it was possible, as it too late for all of us. In Marcela we lost a good, honest and generous person. Our loving sister, rest easy in your Canadian soil. A piece of you, however, will always remain in Slovakia.