The Angel Who Got Away

By Lisa Richmon 

Krystyna Bublick did things her way.  She did everything with style, sensitivity and from her heart.  Krystyna was a faithful wife and loving mother, a daughter, a sister and friend, an entrepreneur, artist and activist.

Krystyna Elizabeth Piasecki was born November 13, 1953, in Nottingham, England.  She immigrated to the United States in 1954 with her parents Jan and Adela Piasecki.  Krystyna leaves many people to honor her memory.  Her mother Adela; her son Benjamin; her brothers John and Marion; her sister Denise; a wide circle of extended family, her "spirit" sisters, and her "spirit"  mother Renata Keep. 

The daughter of Polish immigrants and eldest of five children, Krystyna graduated from Western Michigan University with a Master's Degree in Public Administration.  She often said, "Nothing taught me more than poverty." 

Krystyna lived every day with divine purpose and an unusual capacity for love.  The source of her radiant love was her love of God and the bond she forged with her only child, her son Benjamin.  Ben was her deepest affection, pride and love.  The magic of motherhood that she personally experienced inspired Loveabye, Inc., a program she created to foster nuturing and bonding during pregnancy.  Krystyna embraced the idea that loving words set to music would help new souls develop self-esteem and "show children how great they are." 

She joined Landmark Communications in 1992 where, as a rising star, she quickly became Virginia Beach Beacon's field sales manager and creator of the "Best of the Beach" campaign.  Recognized as a free-spirit, critical thinker and entrepreneur, Krystyna was charged with a novel task, an "Internet" start-up business called CareerWeb.  CareerWeb became a reality before the word Internet became a buzz word.  In 1995, she was named Outstanding Professional Woman of Hampton Roads.

After founding CareerWeb, Krystyna launched her own internet and marketing firm.  The 1996 formation of KEB and Associates led to new challenges and steady success, including her creation of the name and initial marketing plan for Neighborhood America -- but it did not stop the stirring in her soul to work artistically.

Krystyna also said that destiny and divine guidance led her to renew an old friendship with Renata Keep.  Keep, a well-known Virginia Beach artist, agreed to take her under her wing and teach Krystyna the art of crafting and designing jewelry and oil painting.  "I've been waiting for you," Keep told Krystyna when she called, seventeen years after they first found each other.  The two became inseparable.  

With Krystyna Signature Collection, Krystyna found her calling -- but not her finale.  The most current business venture on the horizon was the collaboration with her sister Denise, a successful pioneer in the trucking industry.  Krystyna's track record suggests that she would have become the first (beautiful) blonde Jewish female to explore this terrain and make her mark.  Krystyna was looking forward to the opportunity to pool her talents with a sister whom she loved and respected.

As a role model to Ben, Krystyna was unrelenting when it came to community service.  Krystyna's mother Adela spent six yers during World War II on German work farms and in a Nazi Concentration Camp.  Adela's miraculous survival is a story that Krystyna often shared publicly.  As a second-generation survivor, Krystyna wholeheartedly said "yes" when asked to work on behalf of various organizations dedicated to tikkun olam, the Hebrew words for "repairing the world."  As a member and chair of the United Jewish Foundation Holocaust Commission, she had a special place in her heart for the local Holocaust survivors.  She felt a sense of joy doing for survivors and for senior members of her synagogue, often without being asked.  Adela's legacy also drove Krystyna to teach Ben to "give back" and become a member of the world community, which he did with vigor.  Krystyna led, worshipped and served from this place in her heart and invested infinite energy in these causes and organizations she felt connected to:  Stopabuse.com, Temple Emanuel, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater Holocaust Commission, Hearts of Hope Foundation, American Congress for Truth and the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center. 

Krystyna’s gift was her ability to weave together family, sisterhood, and service. This tapestry was the sum of her parts. Though she is no longer here to flash her unforgettable smile across a room, or to share her pride in Ben, or to wrap a special gift for drop-off on birthdays, her “light” will never go out.