White Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus)
White Fringetree is a true showstopper with one of the most amazing spring blooming displays of all of the shrubs native to Eastern North America. Flowers have long, flowing strap-shaped petals that are mildly fragrant and completely captivating. This beauty is dioecious with separate male and female plants. It is typically a large shrub or small tree and usually grows about 15 to 20 feet tall with a similar spread. It has few pests and fares best in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 9.
Adele L. Lekoski
Adele L. Lekoski
March 24, 1931 – November 30, 2019
By Judy Lekoski
Adele Lekoski was a loving, kind and generous mother. She and our dad, Vinny, raised three children,
Judy, Lori and Rick, to be independent, strong, respectful, and honorable individuals. Married for 66
years, they made their home in Warwick, NY. When they retired, they moved to Ocean City, MD, to
enjoy the second chapter of their lives.
Adele and Vinny were the retired owners of Stan’s Liquors in Warwick, NY, a family-owned business.
They spent most of their professional lives working in retail, managing the family’s grocery/hardware
store and a self-service gas station before taking sole proprietorship of the liquor store from Adele’s
father.
Adele and Vinny were active in all the communities in which they lived. Adele was a member of St.
Stephen, the First Martyr RC Church, the St. Stephen’s Sodality, a leader for the Sarah Wells Girl Scout
Council, and a den mother. She was also active in the Warwick Jaycees. After moving to Berlin, MD,
Adele became a member of St. John Neumann RC Church and the Polish American Club of Delmarva. She
and Vinny were known for throwing the best annual picnics for that Polish Club complete with lots of
games and delicious food.
Reflecting on Adele’s life, her children said, “Mom was a kind and generous person. She was gracious to
everyone and always had a kind word. She was a loyal friend and welcoming to all our friends who came
to our home. That was our Mom. She and Dad provided us with a loving home and taught us to treat
others with kindness and respect.”
“Our Mom was quite a lady. She headed off to Manhattan after she graduated from high school in a very
small town and attended business school. This was in the 1950s and was groundbreaking for her time.
As a result, she met our Dad and they both instilled a love of that city in us.”
“Our Mom was a woman of faith and spent many hours volunteering for various church activities
especially when we attended Catholic elementary school. We remember the nights our Dad and Mom
worked at spaghetti dinners or bingo. That spirit of volunteerism continued when they moved to
Maryland and were part of their church and the Polish Club. She and our Dad were so proud of their
heritage.”
“Our Mom taught us to bake, loved to shop and gave us a sense of style, and enjoyed staying current
with the pop culture of the day. She enjoyed talking about TV shows and movies and shared many
favorites.”
“Most of all, we remember all the good times we shared with our family….the visits with their friends,
the days on the boat at Greenwood Lake, NY, the family parties and celebrations, our wonderful
Christmas holidays, and times at the beach in Cape May, NJ. We love you, Mom, and miss you.”
Our family would like to thank the staff at the Botanical Gardens for honoring our mother with the
Chionanthus virginicus (also known as the Sweetheart Tree) and the Fothergilla major honoring our dad.
They are located right next to each other in the gardens, which is quite fitting for a loving couple that
spent 66 years together right by each other’s side.
We miss you Mom and Grandma.
With all our love,
Judy Lekoski, Lori Lekoski and Jack Tosi, Rick and Emily Lekoski, Matt Tosi, Marissa Tosi, and Mitch and
Nathaly Lekoski
