PhDr. MARIA PRASLICKOVA PISKORIK NOW IN CANADA

1932-2000

Valentines day 1996 the wedding of Maria and John in Lomne at
the Greek Catholic Church of St. Arch Angel Gabriel

In all these years of me going to Vychodna and other Slovak folk festivals I never met Maria. Many years ago we made contact by mail and Maria have sent me a very valuable book called "Za Chebom," "After the bread." It is a story of a poet Judita Urban and her work in Argentina that was honored in 1989 as the best book about life of Slovaks living abroad by the Slovak Ethnography Institute. This spring I got phone call, and the voice on the other end said this is Marka, and I live now in Vancouver. Well good that I was sitting on the chair otherwise I would have felled down. We met and I also met her husband John Piskorik and we became friends. It is just fantastic, as Maria is one of the best ethnographers of Slovakia, very well known all over the world in her work in scientific research, publishing and dramaturgy in area of ethnography. She wrote tens of studies, scripts for ethnography films, she was involved for many years in all Slovakia's festival in Vychodna, Russyn's festival in Svidnik, festival of Hungarian workers in Gombaseck. Her most important accomplishment is a monograph Brdarstvo a vestinarstvo, Instruments for folk linen making and folk wax making in western Gemer region of Slovakia. She was also a dramaturg for Martin Slivka's film "Medovnikar" "Honney cookies maker" that was awarded by the Grand prize of Ethno film in Cadca. For her many years of work in the field of folk culture she was awarded with medals of festivals in Svidnik, Gombaseck and by a Gold medal of Folklore Festival Vychodna who is also in CIOF UNESCO. Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic has awarded her with the title of meritorious worker of culture. This year she prepared for publication a bibliography Odkaz-Message From earth to the stars about the life and accomplishments of Prof. MUDr. Milan Praslicka, DrSc. That will be published in memoriam on his 75th birthday. MUDr. Praslicka was the founder of Slovak radiological and cosmic medicine.

PhDr. Maria Praslickova Piskorik will be celebrating he 65th birthday in late October. On behalf of the members of the Slovak Heritage and Cultural society of British Columbia I would like to wish Pani Marke, Mrs. Marke as this is how the friends in Slovakia call her, Happy Birthday, lots of health and many creative successes at home and abroad.

PISKORIK Dr. Maria Praslickova. Born October 13, 1932. Passed away suddenly, Wednesday, May 17, 2000, during diagnostic surgery in New Westminster. Maria is and will be missed by her loving and devastated family, of husband John in Langley; three devoted sons in Slovakia, Dr. Milan Praslicka (Jana), Dr. Ivan Praslicka (Natalia) and Dr. Dusan Praslicka (Marta); three grandchildren, Ivan, Anna and Aurelia, also brother Josef in Slovakia. Maria was predeceased by her first husband, Dr. Milan Praslicka, in 1985. For her family she was a principled, loving, motivating and caring mother, particularly after her husband Milan’s passing. For John who lost his wife Eva in 1994, she was a devoted, loving and caring wife, reawakening the desire for life and happiness for both after their earlier losses of mates. Maria had a varied career in Slovakia firstly, in Musical Theatre, wife, mother and school professor. Achieved a Doctorate in Ethnography, for 25 fears produced television culture films, organized annual Folk Festivals, and authored several periodicals and books, including a biography on her ate husband, Dr. Milan Praslicka. Her kindness and talents will be sadly missed by her many friends and acquaintances in Canada, and particularly in Slovakia where she lived until 1995 when she married John and moved to Canada. Funeral Arrangements by Columbia Bowell Funeral Home. Prayers at 7:00 p.m., Monday, May 22, and Funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 23, at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Slovak Catholic Church. 472 East 8th Ave, New Westminster. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Heart and Stroke Foundation will be gratefully acknowledged.

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Published in the Slovak Heritage Live newsletter Volume 5, No. 3, Fsll 1997
Copyright © Vladimir Linder 1997 
3804 Yale Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5C 1P6
The above article and photographs may not be copied, reproduced, republished, or redistributed by any means including electronic, without the express written permission of Vladimir Linder. All rights reserved.