WINIFRED MARY PANDOL “WINNIE”
July 19, 1925 - June 25, 2022 Beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother, and Great-Grandmother
A Recitation of the Rosary at 9:00 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 9:30 a.m. will be held Thursday, July 7 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 12300 Reina Road, Bakersfield for Winifred Mary Pandol who died June 25 in Bakersfield.
Winnie, as she was affectionately known from an early age, was born in Porterville to Croatian immigrants John and Maria Zaninovich. Life in the countryside with her brothers Martin and Jack, and sisters Anna and Antionette was idyllic. She attended Porterville High School, Porterville Junior College, and University of California Santa Barbara.
When she was in her late teens, she was asked to drive the high school's big yellow bus, since all the boys in the area had gone into the service. She was proud to be able to do her part in the war effort. She knew Jack V. Pandol since they were children, as their houses were ten miles apart. They never dated, but when Jack joined the Army, her cousin Mae Caric suggested she write him. Very proper, Winnie suggested he should write to her first. When Jack served in the occupational force in Japan after WWII, he pressed cherry blossoms into her letters, alluding to a future.
The weekend Winnie graduated from the UCSB with her Bachelor of Arts degree, Jack proposed. They were married in 1948 and their union was blessed with four children. They raised them on the family ranch east of Delano. As matriarch of the farming family, Winnie ran a tight ship. She was a keeper of lists and extremely organized which served her well in raising four children.
Her life was dedicated to her family and supporting her husband's businesses as his profile on the international agriculture stage grew. Winnie played a very important role in the success of “3 Brothers” and “Pandol and Sons” table grape operations, as she held down the home front. Winnie and Jack were life partners, but she was the managing partner of the household. Just as she drove the bus to support the war effort, she “drove the bus” at home.
Winnie was incredibly proud of her Croatian heritage, and she enjoyed coordinating the annual Zaninovich family reunions. She enjoyed improving her home and had many opportunities to travel and attend conventions with her husband over the years.
She volunteered extensively at St. Mary's School where her children attended, served on the Delano Regional Medical Center board of directors, was a member of American Slavonic Social Club, and active in St. Mary's Parish. After her children were grown, Winnie joined California Women for Agriculture. Ahead of her time, she walked the halls of the state capitol advocating for the farming industry.
Winnie and Jack had been married 62 years when he lost his battle with Alzheimer's Disease. Devastated by the loss of her husband, she was forced to adapt, and reinvented her life with a move to Bakersfield. She enjoyed many years being closer to her children and watching her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren grow.
Winnie's mission in life was to raise her children to be good citizens. She was exceedingly proud of each of them. She is survived by her sons Stephen and his wife Marnell, Jack and his wife Carolyn, daughter Maria Zebrowski and her husband Greg, and her son Jim. She is also survived by grandchildren Matt Zebrowski (Courtney), Andrew Pandol (Erin), Jennifer Pandol, Jack Pandol Jr. (Holli), and Cici Pandol, and great-grandchildren Lucy, Oliver, and Jack III (Jackson) Pandol.
Heartfelt thanks to Lilly Madrid, Winnie's primary caregiver, as well as Narissa, Lilian, Marina, and Dr. John Heidrick. She will be privately interred in the veteran's section of Delano Cemetery beside her beloved husband. Pallbearers are Andrew Pandol, Matt Zebrowski, Jack Pandol Jr., Michael Turnipseed, Jon P. Zaninovich, John D. Zaninovich, Steve Pandol III, and John Pandol. Honorary Pallbearers are David Turnipseed, Louis Pandol, Matt Pandol, and Andrew Pandol.
In lieu of flowers, a donation in Winnie's memory may be made to the All Slavonic-American Association in the care of Marc Hure, 13110 Nantucket Place, Bakersfield, CA, 93314; Alzheimer's Disease Association of Kern County, 4203 Buena Vista Road, Bakersfield, CA, 93311; or American Heart Association - Kern County, 7425 N. Palm Bluffs Avenue, Suite 101, Fresno, CA, 93711.