Virginia Kinga Lubowiecki was born on December 4, 1923 at home in New Hyde Park to parents Kinga Strauss and Leon Lubowiecki. Her godparents were Anthony Pogozelski Sr and Jean Subkowski (sister of Leon). Virginia died on Friday, February 9, 2024, one month after she celebrated her 100th birthday.

When Virginia was young, she and her sister Joanne only spoke Polish because Kinga and Leon spoke only Polish in their home. Kinga realized that the girls were having a difficult time at school and other places, and taught them to speak in English. By the time Leon was born, theirs was an English-speaking household, with only Kinga and Leon speaking Polish amongst themselves.

She attended New Hyde Park Road School, followed by Sewanhaka High School. Virginia wanted to attend Sewanhaka's Beauty Culture program, but it wasn't offered to students her age. She left Sewanhaka and went to beauty school in Jamaica, New York.

After she graduated beauty school, she worked at Nadine Beauty Salon in New Hyde Park. She purchased the business when the owner (Nadine) became pregnant. Her sister Joanne and sister-in-law Ginger also worked there. She retired from the business in 1980.

After Virginia retired, she and Joanne would get together for years to do each other's hair.

Some relatives remember that Virginia had a friend named Kay, who seemed to always have a cigarette in her mouth. She befriended Virginia sometime during Virginia's ownership of the beauty salon. Kay died from cancer in 1988.

During the last year of her life, she contributed greatly to this family history.

Virginia's photos

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