Anna was born in post-World War II Warsaw, Poland. The devastated city had begun to recover and despite the physical and psychological scars that the war had left upon the generation of her parents, Kazimierz and Maria Helena Bendisz, Anna’s childhood was still full of warm memories and friendships, some of which would last a lifetime.
Anna’s technical inclinations would lead her to study engineering, obtaining a Master’s degree from the Warsaw University of Technology (Politechnika Warszawska). Among her professional achievements was work at Wolff Manufacturing in Belmont in the 1980s, where, among other projects, she blueprinted modifications for Caterpillar heavy equipment. She also worked for a time at the precision machining company Norsco, run by Maciej’s younger brother Greg with his older brother Ted. She had a keen eye for quality and good design.
Briefly having met as children, Maciej Siekierski and Anna would reconnect in early adulthood in Poland. They soon began a relationship that led to their marriage, first a civil ceremony in Warsaw and then their wedding Mass in San Francisco in 1979. The union would prove fruitful as three children were born, Nicholas (1983), Victoria (1985), and Maximilian (1989), all April birthdays, a time of year that always brought her special joy. She lived in the United States for the majority of her life, forty years of that in Redwood City, California, having become a naturalized US citizen in May 1983. Though she embraced the opportunities and freedoms she found in America, she never lost her deep love for Poland. She worked hard to pass on her language, culture, traditions, and Catholic faith to her children, sharing with them pride in their heritage and gratitude for the life their family was able to build.
She was a deeply loving wife and mother whose energy, generosity, and affection shaped the lives of those around her. She found happiness in simple beauties — mornings at the Menlo Park farmers market (especially during Blenheim apricot season), discovering art and antiques, dabbling in painting, and spending time in nature, whether among the redwoods or along the coast. Her beloved granddaughters, Lucy and Apollonia, brought her immense happiness and were a constant source of light and strength, especially during the final years of her courageous battle with cancer.
Anna was a faithful Catholic who had a special devotion to the Rosary (like her mother, Helena) and sought comfort and strength there and in other prayers, such as the Divine Mercy Chaplet and devotion to the Holy Image of Jesus based on the description of St. Faustyna Kowalska (also of Poland). She was a parishioner at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Pius in Redwood City, but since 2010 most often attended Mass at Church of the Nativity in Menlo Park, praying an hour regularly as part of the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration program.
One of the clearest expressions of Anna’s love was the care she gave her husband following his stroke in 2018. She cared for him tirelessly and selflessly with remarkable strength, patience, and devotion, even while facing her own illness. Her capacity for love, sacrifice, and perseverance was extraordinary.
She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Maciej Siekierski, children Nicholas, Victoria, and Max, sister Zofia Albin, daughters-in-law Tatiana Paola Martino & Angelika Siekierski (née Skonieczna), son-in-law Chase Kanarek, and granddaughters, Lucy Kanarek and Apollonia Martino-Siekierski, as well as extended family in both Poland and the United States.
A funeral Mass was held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 19, at the Church of the Nativity, 210 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park, California. Burial took place immediately afterwards at Holy Cross Cemetery in Menlo Park. A video recording of the funeral is available for family and friends to view, please contact me.
