We are saddened to announce the death of our beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother, & Great-Grandmother, Ellen Jeanette Poloncak, who passed away on July 12, 2018. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on May 2nd 2016. Cancer is an ugly disease, but she went through it with grace and strength. She fought hard and had baffled most physicians when she lived another 2 years after diagnosis. She fought to stay with the people that mattered to her most and they were with her every step of the way. Ellen lead a very fulfilling and jubilant life with her family and friends and touched so many lives with her kindness in the short time she was given.
Ellen was brought into the world on November 10th 1950 and was welcomed into heaven on July 12th 2018. She was a devout Catholic and believed in something greater than what can be seen or heard. She had faith in everything and everyone, even when it was not easy. She lived as an example of pure unconditional selfless love. She married the love of her life; her high school sweetheart, Jerome “Jerry” Poloncak on April 20th 1968 at 18 years old. He was her rock, her sense of peace, and her best friend for all the days of her life. They raised 3 beautiful children together. Their first child, Kimberly Poloncak, was born on October 11th 1968. They then had their first son, Jeffrey Poloncak, on November 22nd 1974, and Theron Poloncak on May 26th 1977. The 5 of them were quite a team. The family purchased their first home on Grover Avenue in Hammond, Indiana and there the love only grew stronger. They stood by each other through the trials and tribulations of life and made many cherished memories together.
As time went by, Ellen’s first grandchild came into the world. She loved being a grandmother and hearing the pitter-patter of little feet again. Her love for her grandchildren was a love without condition. She was the type of grandma you dream about, she loved you from the tip top of your head down to your little pinky toes. She was always happy to see you and was always proud of you no matter how small the accomplishment. She gave the best hugs and told you how wonderful and important you were to her. She showed us what it was to love. She taught us how to be silly, and to always tell the truth, and not to forget to wash your hands before dinner. She taught you that you could do anything you wanted as long as you worked hard. She was a spectacular example of how to be a wife, mother, and friend. She had 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren who deeply miss their very loved and cherished Nana.
Her life was not always easy, but she made it look effortless and conquered everything in her way. She was the definition of strong, and she was as beautiful as she was smart. To say she was an inspiration is an understatement; all who knew her understood how remarkable she was. She ascended as an angel, to show us all that there is no defeat in death, only transcendence. The family Ellen and Jerry started has grown from a small seed of love and has blossomed into the many warm, loving, and kind hearts that miss her dearly today. She will be waiting for us in heaven with open arms, until we can be together again. We hope you will join us in celebrating the magnificent soul that she was and to wish her well on her next journey.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 at St. Juan Diego Catholic Church, 3200 S. Cooper Rd., Chandler, AZ 85286. Family will greet friends for a visitation at 9:00 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. Burial will follow at San Tan Memorial Gardens at Schnepf Farms, 22425 E. Cloud Rd., Queen Creek, AZ 85142.