Marianne M. Pavlak

Marianne Pavlak ObituaryObituary published on Legacy.com by Woyasz & Son Funeral Service - Norwich on Mar. 17, 2026.Norwich - Marianne M. Pavlak, a longtime Norwich resident, was 87 years old when she left this world on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 to reunite with her beloved husband.She was born in Wurzburg, Germany on February 26, 1938 the middle daughter of Sofie (Jahrsdoerfer) Gottwald and Josef Gottwald. After surviving the Nazi German regime as a child, she met and became the loving wife of Raymond "Ray" Pavlak. They were married on November 24,1956 in Wurzburg Heidingsfeld, Germany. They met when Ray was serving in the United States Army and was stationed in Germany. After the birth of their sons, they moved back to the United States in 1959.Marianne worked for 13 years at Eastern Connecticut Savings Bank and retired in 2000. At the time of her retirement, she was a customer service representative. Prior to Eastern, she had been employed at the Dime Savings Bank, the Laurel Gift and Card Shop, and Reid & Hughes.Marianne was a devoted mother and wife and especially enjoyed travelling with the family throughout New England and upstate New York. Later in life, she and Ray Sr. would spend many weeks in Maine and New Hampshire, as the Maine coast and the White Mountains were two of their favorite leisure destinations.Family was everything to Marianne. Her grandchildren affectionately knew her as Oma. Nothing delighted her more than seeing her children and grandchildren progress through their school years and beyond. She would attend their academic and extracurricular events whenever she could. Immensely proud of each of them, she never missed an opportunity to talk about their latest accomplishments with friends, neighbors, and anyone else within earshot. Marianne had quite the collection of small knick-knacks that filled her home with charm and whimsy, much to the delight of her grandchildren. Holidays and birthdays were made even more special by the trinkets she gifted, passing along her love of little treasures and leaving her grandchildren with small reminders of her spirit. She was cheerful and welcoming, always keeping small bowls stocked with an endless supply of candy and other treats, just as sweet as she was.For herself, she found joy in life's simpler pleasures: cooking, baking, gardening, shopping, reading on her porch, and taking rides along the shoreline or through the park. And there was one personal joy her family pleasantly witnessed; she always ordered and fiercely enjoyed dessert! Her sweet tooth was impossible to miss.Marianne was unmistakably generous and more concerned with the needs of others than her own. She was strong and independent, and as her family fondly recalls, "honest to a fault." Everyone who knew Marianne also knew that taking Marianne anywhere, whether to run errands or simply pick up a loaf of bread, always took much longer than planned. She couldn't set foot in town without bumping into someone she knew, and before long, a friendly chat would blossom into a life history update. She must have known at least half the town.As a devout woman of faith, Marianne was a parishioner at St. Patrick Cathedral for most of her adult life and served there as a Eucharistic Minister for over 20 years. She was also an active member of The Woman's City Club of Norwich and the AARP Mohegan Chapter.She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.She is survived by her sons, Raymond Pavlak, Jr. and wife Holly and Douglas Pavlak and wife Norma; grandchildren, Cara Pavlak, Sasha Pavlak, Dale Pavlak and wife Kaytie, Neal Pavlak, Clarice Pavlak, Gunter Haug-Pavlak, Grace Haug-Pavlak, and Natalie Haug-Pavlak; sister Hannelore Kober of Aidhausen, Germany; and her nieces and nephews.In addition to her parents and husband, she was predeceased by her sister Elisabeth Heil and niece Michaela Kober.In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to St. Patrick Cathedral, St. Vincent de Paul Place Norwich, St. Jude Hospital for Children, or a charitable organization of your choosing.A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Patrick Cathedral in Norwich at 10 am Saturday, April 18th. A joint burial with Ray Sr. will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery.To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.