Obituary of Stella Warinner

Stella Warinner
August 20, 1926 – December 1, 2025

Stella Warinner, 99, daughter of Afanasy (John) and Elizabeth Suskiewicz Holbowitch died December 1, 2025.  She was
born on August 20, 1926 in Brooklyn, New York. She always celebrated her birthday on the 30 th and
didn’t discover it was actually the 20 th until she had to get a copy of her birth certificate to get a driver’s
license when she was about 41 years old. She was the last child born to John and Elizabeth. Her mom
told her that she had given birth to 11 children; however, only eight have been identified. Her dad
emigrated from Russia (Byelorussia) to New York (Ellis Island) in 1912 with his wife and son Frank
following a year later. The remaining siblings were born in Brooklyn and all preceded her in death. They
were Frank (Vera) Holden, Stanley (Martha) Holbowitch, Lena (John) Salkowitz, Mary (John) Remis,
Helen Holbowitch, Antonine Holbowitch and Sunny (Frank) Holahan.

She spoke of her early years in a neighborhood of kids from immigrant families all speaking English in
the streets as they played and then going home to speak their parent’s native tongue. She attended the
Brooklyn High School of Women’s Garment Trades. Her dad was a tailor and she followed in his
footsteps. After she was married, she made clothing for her children in the early days. She had a
treadle sewing machine which dad later hooked up to a motor and built a cabinet for.

During WWII she was a ballroom dance teacher at Dale Dance Studios in New York City. She and a friend
were in a soda shop under Central Station when they met a couple of sailors. One was John Warinner,
from Indiana, who she married on March 5, 1945. They lived in Brooklyn and moved to Seaford on Long
Island in the spring of 1954 and she stayed there for the remainder of her life. As her children grew, she
was involved in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Brownies, Girl Scouts, and the PTA. She took several adult ed
classes, enjoyed cake decorating and did so for many years, making birthday, anniversary, and wedding
cakes. After getting her driver’s license, she sold Tupperware for many years and when the youngest
child was in school full-time, she finally went back to school to fulfil her dream of becoming a nurse. She
first became a geriatric aide, then an LPN and worked in South Nassau Hospital for about 10 years before
retiring. At that point she and a few nurse friends started doing in-home care for elderly patients which
she continued to do until about the age of 85 when it became more difficult to drive to patient’s homes
and we wondered whether she was older than her patients! At that point she helped several neighbors
in need of nursing care. Along the way she developed a love of crafting, knitting, and crocheting. She
made Afghans for all her children and grandchildren and made crafts – especially Christmas ornaments
and decorations – which she sold each year.

As she aged, she developed a mild form of dementia but was determined to stay in her home and her
daughter Debbie eventually moved in with her to become her caretaker to enable her to do that.

She and John had 9 children who survive her: John (Brenda) Warinner, Elizabeth (Darrell) Litwiller, Patty
Barry, Debbie Warinner, Paul (Cathy) Warinner, Peter (Lina) Warinner, Mary (Terry) Brosnan, James
Warinner, and Stephanie (Rick) Brozowski. She is also survived by 27 grandchildren, 28 great-
grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren.