SHORT LIFE STORY OF THE LATE
MARIE ANTONIA CLARE LOMAS (Nee DWORZAK)
By: Sister Antoinette Fergusson & Daughter Ebun Lomas

Marie was the first of four siblings born to Anton and May Dworzak, on Ash Wednesday, the 22nd February 1939, at the Family home in George Brook, on the western side of Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa. Her other siblings are Antoinette, Margareta May, and Anton Jnr., fondly called Tony. Her Baptismal names were MARIE ANTONIA but she acquired CLARE at her Confirmation in her mid-teenage years.

Marie attended the Saint Joseph’s Convent Nursery, Primary and Secondary Schools, at Howe Street, Freetown. She attained the Cambridge School Certificate on leaving Secondary School. After leaving school and whilst awaiting the results of her school leaving exams she taught at the Saint Mary’s Primary School, Howe Street, Freetown, for one academic year. She proceeded to Cambridge, United Kingdom, in 1959, to pursue higher studies in Geography.

It was while she was pursuing her studies in Cambridge she met and fell in love with Peter Lomas. Peter took Marie to Sheffield to introduce her to his Parents and also to East Berlin for her to meet his Mother’s Family. She gave up her studies to marry Peter who had by then secured a job in Aba, Eastern Nigeria. They got married on the 11th February 1961, in Aba, her sister, Antoinette, attending as her Bridesmaid.

After a few years in Aba, Peter took up another job in Montreal, Canada, and later in New Guinea, South Pacific. Marie became pregnant in New Guinea and decided to come home to Freetown to have her baby, where her daughter Ebun was born. Marie remained in Freetown, and Peter took up and assignment in Vancouver, Canada.

Settling into her life in Sierra Leone, Marie worked as Confidential Secretary to the Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health, Sierra Leone Government; Confidential Secretary to the Director Catholic Relief Services, a Non-Governmental Organization; and Confidential Secretary to the Director of Education, Catholic Education Office, Dioceses of Freetown and Bo.

In Freetown, Marie was an active member of her Alma Mater Ex-Pupils’ Association and rose to become Vice President of the Association. She also belonged to The Gorretti Group (a Social Group) of the Ex-Pupils’ Association and was active there also. Marie took an active part in her Parish Church, the St. Anthony’s Parish, she was one of the founding members of the Catholic Women’s Association and the Ladies Auxiliary of St. Veronica, of the Knights of St. John in her Parish.

Marie immigrated to Vancouver, Canada in 1990 to join her daughter Ebun, who had moved there after she completed secondary school. It did not take her long to settle in, get to know her new community and city and start making friends in the Sierra Leonean and church community. She was very outgoing and nothing kept her from exploring her new adopted home. Soon after her arrival, she started a Sierra Leonean Community Group and hosted gatherings at home on Smith Avenue in Burnaby. She became fondly known as “Mama Marie”. She started a child caring business from her home that she, shared with her daughter, and developed strong bonds with all the kids she took care of and their parents. After the birth of her grandson Anton, she took care of him also, and continued her care for him until his teenage years. She was a Godsend to both her daughter and her grandson and a great help.

Marie continued child caring business until retirement when she moved to senior’s residences, first at Vivian Street then her current home on Champlain Crescent. At both residences she again made friends easily.

Marie was a very religious person and was an active member the Corpus Christi Parish and a few catholic groups there. She was a founding Member of the Catholic Women’s League at Corpus Christi Parish, a member of the Missionaries of Charity and the El Shaddai DWXI PPFI to name a few. At the same time, she kept active with the Sierra Leonean community and other friends she had made along the way. Nothing slowed her down or stopped her from visiting people until her sudden illness in January 2017.

Marie was a real big sister. Growing up, she made sure no one bullied her siblings at school or anywhere. She was very meticulous and tidy and a disciplinarian. She tried sometimes unsuccessfully to pass on these attributes to her younger siblings and her daughter Ebun, but she was a loyal, loving and kind big sister, mother and grandmother. She would always remember birthdays and anniversaries. She loved family and would regularly visit family and extended family. She actively participated in all family celebrations.

Marie was an avid reader; one young cousin could only remember her as Miss Marie who was always in her room reading. When she was growing up, she would often get in trouble with her Dad when she would come to table at meal times with her books. Because of the vast knowledge she gained from reading she was a member and later a leader of the School Quiz Competition Team. She and the team made the School proud.

Marie made friends easily and was loyal to those friends. The friends she made at school, church, and at work were friends until her demise. She knew all her friends’ birthdays and would call many to congratulate them. Many of her friends remarked that they would miss their birthday calls. Marie was well loved as she had a lot of love to give to each who came across her path. She would be sorely missed by family, friends and acquaintances.

" Marie & Mama may your gentle soul rest in the perfect peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."