Alicja Rudnicka-MacGillivray

Sutton – Doctor Alicja Rudnicka-MacGillivray, 77, of Sutton, Massachusetts, passed away on January 5, 2020 at home, surrounded by her family, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Alicja was born in Cracow, Poland on April 11, l942. In Poland, she graduated from Warsaw Medical Academy before emigrating to the United States in 1968. After moving to Massachusetts, she continued her medical education at Brown University in Providence, RI, where she was Chief Resident and Teaching Fellow in Medical Science at Brown Medical School.

She then became a member Diplomat and Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. Alicja worked for 48 years as a doctor, opening her private practice in Dermatology in 1975 in Webster, MA, and continued for many years, working as a medical doctor in the field. She worked for 24 years at Fallon Clinic and Reliant, retiring in April 2019.

She was the daughter of the late Polish architect, Zbigniew Rudnicki and lawyer and writer Aleksandra Rudnicka (Homme). Alicja Rudnicka was the wife of William MacGillivray MD from 1968 until his death in 1996, after which she married Piotr Ferensowicz, MA-Musician, in 2003, to whom she remained married until her death. She is survived by several step children and grandchildren.

Throughout the years, Alicja was very active in local organizations. She was a member of the Massachusetts Medical Society, the Worcester District Medical Society, the Rhode Island Dermatological Society, the International Center of Worcester, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and the Polish Heritage Foundation.

Alicja was a loving and passionate gardener (she finished the course of Master Gardener) and loved to take care of her beautiful gardens in Douglas, MA. After moving to Sutton, she became president of the Villas Pleasant Valley Garden Club in Sutton, and volunteered at Tower Hill Botanical Garden in Boylston, MA. She also loved animals, especially dogs.

For the last 5 years, she rediscovered her passion for painting with watercolors. She created many wonderful pictures, including portraits of family members. She also enjoyed traveling with her husband Piotr, visiting many countries around the world.

Alicja was a great hostess and cook and loved receiving guests, especially family and hosted many interesting people from various foreign countries. She was also a connoisseur of music, attending many music performances, including Music Worcester, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Broadway shows in NYC, the Metropolitan Opera and International Chopin Piano competitions in Warsaw.

Alicja will be remembered as having a charming personality; she was an adoring grandmother who loved reading books and doing crossword puzzles. She delighted in bringing people together for each of her incredible adventures.

Family and friends will gather to visit with her family on Wednesday, January 15th from 9:30am until 10:30am at the Callahan, Fay & Caswell Life Celebration Home, 61 Myrtle St., Worcester. A memorial Mass will follow at 11:00am at St. Bernard's Church, 236 Lincoln Street, Worcester, MA.
A private funeral and burial will be held at the family grave in Poland.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the St. Bernard's Church Youth, 236 Lincoln St., Worcester, MA 01605.
Reception will be held immediately after a memorial Mass at Pleasant Valley Country Club, 95 Armsby Rd. Sutton, MA 01590