Zita Pace

Zita Pace passed away 10-06-23 ten days after a stroke on Tuesday Sept 26. She was able to communicate to most of the many who came to her side for seven days, by hand signals waving and squeezing, but not speaking. She was able to wash her face neck forehead, brush her teeth, clean her mouth, suck on a rag. Because she had been a long-term care facility nurse for years, she knew what was happening. But she knew Jesus ended death, she knew the resurrection, and was anxious to go. She even told me she did not want the miraculous healing we thought would be cool. If anyone would get a miraculous healing it would be Zita.

Zita was a powerful person from Transylvania at the inside northeast corner of the Carpathians in Big Mine or Bia Mare in what has been Romania since WWI by the League of Nations and again in WWII by the United Nations. So, Transylvania suffered after losing two world wars allied with Germany, but Transylvania is in the Hungarian Tisa River Drainage, and her Protestant family identifies Hungarian.

Powerful because as a persecuted Pentecostal, she applied to get out of communism after the 79 Helsinki Accords. At that time, she had a Masters in Chemistry and Physics and was teaching in Moldovia, Romania, in the Ukraine. It took the Pentecostals eight years to get out and they were persecuted for leaving, loosing good jobs etc. For example: as Pentecostal Zita could not teach children, so they sent her to a lab where she had gone to school in what is now the Art Center of the European Union, Timisoara, Transylvania, Romania.

In February 1987 Zita came to US, serving as a nanny to a Hungarian family for three years in LA, where she supposedly learned how to drive, moving north to Seattle where she could get a job as a medical assistant before she knew English (by the way she knew Hungarian, Romanian, German and Russian before she learned English).

She always wanted to be a nurse. Her Masters in Chemistry and Physics did not count in the US, but really helped in her becoming a nurse, moving up to be a Registered Nurse in an Intensive Care Unit.

Zita is a prayer warrior. She works all day from the time she gets up until she goes to sleep. But during the day she prays for people. It is her calling. I am still waiting for people to call so I can let them know Zita has passed. She prays for people who are sick or lonely. Several have been praying with her for these seven days. Some have been healed.

Zita was born 11/02/1947, Baia Mare, Romania. Preceded by Parents: Miklos and Juliana Matyus and Sister Eva. Survived by Sister Magdolina, Brother Laci and their children and grandchildren.

Here in Bonners Ferry Zita is survived by her husband of 30 years Bobby Pace and his children Michael Pace (Heather), Emily Pace Millard (Bjorn), Kevin Colton (Julia) and all their children.

Services will be this Saturday October 14th 10AM at St Mary’s Episcopal Church which only holds 67 people mostly already reserved for church family, family and people serving. Then internment at Grandview Cemetery, then a 1:00 Celebratory Lunch in the Hall at Holy Myrrhbearers Orthodox Church at the top of Peterson Hill, 1957 Pleasant Valley Loop, 83805. The Bonners Ferry Funeral Home is caring for the family.  To leave a message or memory for the family please go to www.bonnersferryfuneralhome.com.