CENTER BARNSTEAD- Victoria Jean Bednarski passed as the result of congestive heart failure on the evening of September 16th, 2022. It was a blessing that my father and I were by her side as her body started to slowly shut down. She passed peacefully as we showered her with love. Each cat hopped onto her bed, purred and kissed her hands or face. She was surrounded by love both on this side of the veil, and the other. (In the few days prior to her passing she had conversations with her late aunt Julia, uncle Chris and her mom, Dorothy.) I sensed them and other cherished ones welcoming her to the other side. She was a loving daughter, helping to support her family of origin from a young age. That devotion to family continued with ours, and throughout her life. She excelled at several professions, before she broke a gender barrier by becoming one of the first women (if not The First) high-powered industrial outside-sales representatives in the Northeast for several major tech companies. Mom also worked as a teacher for a brief time, and her ability to stimulate curiosity in others (especially in me) was unmatched. She always made the world a better and more beautiful place with her empathetic interest for people from all walks of life, and her passion for creativity. She believed fervently in everything she did, including raising me, her only child. Yet, even though she chose to make family her priority, her impact on the world around her never ceased. Her love for animals was boundless; she rescued, rehabilitated, and homed all types of creatures great and small. Her flair for the creative spanned many artforms: as a painter, seamstress, jeweler, craftswoman, decorator and in her personal fashion (she was phenomenally stylish!) Widely traveled, she also brought the world home to our dinner table. She loved learning people's stories from every element of society, and if some were disenfranchised, she desired to help. Mom believed in doing good works without making a show of it, as she was deeply involved in the Tekeshe Foundation, an international non-profit organization providing support to women and children in rural Zimbabwe. Mom (Vickie) built philanthropic, yet personal relationships with people whom she never met face to face. For those she did meet in person, her hospitality and culinary skill were extended to ALL who came to our door. She was a force of nature, a truly powerful woman, and very much ahead of her time! She leaves behind her devoted husband Bruce A. Bednarski, her loving daughter Julie Victoria Bednarski, and many friends/chosen family. Vickie was laid to rest following a graveside service on Friday, September 30th at Floral Park Cemetery in Pittsfield. Rev. Amanda Sampey officiated. In lieu of flowers, donations in Vickie's memory may be sent to the Tekeshe Foundation, a cause to which she was deeply committed, via the following links. https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/help-100-underprivileged-kids-in-zimbabwe/reports/?subid=199265 https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/help-100-disadvantaged-rural-women-grow-mushrooms/reports/?subid=183901 Or, if you feel called to make a donation to a no-kill animal shelter in her name, that would also be welcome. Assisting the family with arrangements was The Roan Family Funeral Home - Still Oaks Chapel of Epsom. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit www.roanfamilyfuneral.com