Obituary of Elizabeth T. Szczecinski
Elizabeth Tressa Szczecinski
Elizabeth T. (Hudson) Szczecinski 83, of West Conshohocken, Pa. passed away Thursday December 16, 2021.
Elizabeth was born on October 12, 1938 to the late Howard F. and the late Elizabeth (Zielinski) Hudson. Howard was a bus driver in Philadelphia and worked most of this life at Alan Wood Steel plant in Conshohocken, Pa.
Elizabeth or Tressa as she preferred, lived the majority of her life in West Conshohocken, Pa. She graduated from Saint Mary’s grade school. Tressa was a member of the all girl’s marching band of Saint Matthew’s High School, class of 1956. Tressa obtained enough top of her class honors and scholarship awards to attend the nursing school at Brynn Marr Hospital. Once graduated from Brynn Marr, Tressa worked as an operating room nurse at Montgomery Hospital, Norristown, Pa. While at Montgomery Hospital Tressa met and married Severin J. Szczecinski (1/9/1933 – 11/7/2019).
Once married in 1963, Severin rejoined the army and Tressa became an Army Officer’s wife for the next 18 years. Army life brought traveling across the lower 48, as well as a 3 year tour in both Japan and Alaska. Each move brought a new house to set up, new adventures, 2 children and multiple German Shorthaired Pointers.
Tressa loved any kind of needlework. She was an exceptional seamstress, clothing her children, husband and friends in wonderfully handmade pieces. Tressa even designed and sewed her daughter’s wedding dress. Tressa also sewed double down parka’s to keep David and Christine warm during the extremely cold Alaskan winters. The kids looked like little Micheline men walking down the road. Tressa’s first craft was knitting and every family member, even the dog sported handmade sweaters. Tressa never stopped trying new soft crafting and ventured into embroidery, crewel embroidery, hardanger embroidery, counted cross stitch and any other specialty needlework she could get her hands on. Not to rest on her laurels Tressa expanded into quilting. Every bed in the house was covered with beautiful works of art. Tressa went high tech too, buying an embroidery machine and machine embroidery ended up on everything not nailed down.
Once Severin retired in 1993, traveling for enjoyment was now part of Tressa’s life. A truck camper was purchased and away they went. A few trips to state parks and a cross country road trip back up to Alaska to visit friend, fishing and sightseeing. While in Valdez Alaska, Tressa completely enjoyed a whale watching trip into the Glacier National Park . The vacation that Tressa looked forward to every year was the month spent, during the middle of the winter, in Hawaii. Each year without fail 2 weeks were spent at the Hale Koa Hotel (House of the Warrior) on Waikiki Beach O’hau, Hawaii and another 2 weeks were spent on the Pacific Missile Range on Kauai Hawaii. Tressa enjoyed the sun, sand, new sights and whale watching from the lanai. What Tressa loved the most was the warmth, no snow, and the ability to find Hawaiian fabrics for new sewing and quilting projects. Every year boxes of new fabrics and craft kits arrived in the mail from Hawaii and pieces of fabric was stuffed into every extra space in her luggage. Once traveling to Hawaii was no longer possible, Tressa still continued to scout out new fabric and craft stores for projects to keep her busy. Summers were spent visiting Beach Haven, Long Beach Island, New Jersey and canning tomatoes from her own garden as well as from her daughter and son in law’s garden.
Tressa is survived by her daughter Christine Tressa and William Lane of Doylestown, Pa. and son David J. Szczecinski of West Conshohocken, Pa. and of course 2 German Shorthaired Pointers, Juneau and Willow.
Her service and interment will be private.
Arrangements by Moore, Snear & Ruggiero Funeral Home, 300 Fayette Street, Conshohocken, PA, (610) 828-0330.
www.msrfh.com.