Margaret Roch Polonus

Augusta, GAPlease pray for the repose of the soul of Margaret Roch Polonus, who entered into rest on December 18, 2016, at the age of 103. She was a faithful member of St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church, Augusta, Georgia. She closed her eyes at home and entered the gates of heaven to be with the Lord.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church on January 6, 2017, at 11 a.m. with Fr. Jerry Ragan as celebrant. Visitation with the family will be at 10:15 a.m. in the narthex. Interment to follow at Westover Memorial Park.

Margaret was the wife of the late Harold A. Polonus. She was born in Blacklick, Pa., to the late Ludvik and Frances Stora Roch. She spent her formative years in Sharpsville, Pa. Margaret was a graduate of St. Vincent School of Nursing in Erie, Pa., and lived her entire life caring for others. She began her nursing career in New York City, but returned to Pennsylvania where she met her husband. They raised nine children in Sharon, Pa., Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pa, before moving to Augusta. While living in Cuyahoga Falls, she befriended the many nuns teaching her children. She noticed they needed a raincoat to cover their long habits, so she put her sewing talent to work and designed the Clericape, a raincoat for nuns. She marketed it successfully for several years until the demands of motherhood took precedence.

Besides her husband and parents, Margaret was predeceased by three children, John Harold Polonus, Annelle Devlin and Helen Purks Collins, two sons-in-law, Dr. Warren Purks and Dr. Edgardo Mucha, one great-granddaughter, Ava Latouf, and seven brothers and sisters.

She is survived by six children: Ann Heckel (Roger), Pittsburgh; Susan Mucha, Augusta; Maribeth Quigley (James), Placentia, Ca.; Margaret Polonus, Athens, Ga.; Kathleen Waddell (Thomas), Jupiter, Fl.; William Polonus, North Augusta, SC.; sons-in-law, Patrick Devlin, Winthrop Harbor, Il. and James Collins, Eatonton, Ga; two daughters-in-law, Lee Polonus, Savannah, Ga., and Maureen Polonus, Charlotte, NC.
Also, she is survived by 21 grandchildren: Bob Purks, Kate Sandahl (Trent), Meg Godfrey (Jon); Ted Mucha (Caitlin), Maria Mucha, Carlos Mucha (Donna), Dr. Susan Mucha; Andrew Polonus, Kelly Polonus, Alex Polonus; Susan Power (Matthew), Amy Tomalas (Ryan); Jacob Waddell, Sarah Waddell; Emily Polonus, Erica Polonus; Dr. Kathleen Latouf (Elias), Patrick Devlin (Monica), Gabrielle Devlin (William Hosken), Ana Scanlon (Matthew), Joseph Devlin; and granddaughter-in-law, Chrystelle Mucha
She is survived by 21 great-grandchildren: Carter and Ben Sandahl; Helen Clare and Elizabeth Godfrey; Isabelle Mucha, Matthew Mucha; Jaden, Elise, and Charlotte Power; Blake and Lily Tomalas; Elias, Norah, and Noah Latouf; Margaret, Stella and Ruth Devlin; Declan and Emmanuelle Hosken; Annelle and Rhys Scanlon.

In 1977, Margaret retired as an emergency room nurse at St. Clair Hospital in Mt. Lebanon, Pa., and she and her husband moved to Augusta, Ga. Always willing to give more of herself, she worked as a home-health care nurse for St. Joseph Hospital (now Trinity) for fourteen years. When she retired again, she became a hospice volunteer.
Well into her eighties she was a mentor at Immaculate Conception School, was a lector and Eucharistic minister at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in North Augusta, and at her home parish, St. Mary on the Hill. In her nineties, she drove to nursing homes in her lime-green VW Bug with Molly, her therapy dog, to bring joy to the residents.
She was a world traveler and was proud to show her photos of herself at the Great Wall of China, riding a train in the Pacific Northwest, and braving the cold in Nova Scotia. Her favorite travels, though, were her trips to visit her grandchildren.
Until her illness at 98, she was out and about every day: card games, shopping, lunching with her many friends, exercising at water aerobics, and visiting friends who were hospitalized or homebound.
She read at least two books a week, kept up with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren by way of her Facebook page, did her banking online, and developed her photos from her digital camera. And always she kept her sense of humor, her dignity, and her faith in God's will, knowing that He held her in the palm of His hand.

In lieu of flowers, and if so inclined, donations may be made to a charity of one's choice or Catholic Social Services, 811 12th Street, Augusta, GA 30901.