Elizabeth (Elżbieta) Jolanta Schulze died on August 3, 2026, in Madison, Wisconsin. She was born on November 1, 1941, in Warsaw, Poland, to Józef and Marianna Kulawik.

Elizabeth attended school in Warsaw, and she earned a Chemistry degree.

In 1960, she married Ylli Alibali of Tirana, Albania, and they had one son, Petrit. Ylli visited Albania in 1961, but due to political circumstances and government interference, he was unable to return to his wife and child in Poland. They did not see him again until the collapse of Communism in Albania more than 30 years later.

Elizabeth immigrated to the United States in 1969, departing from Poland on the ship Stefan Batory to Montreal, and then taking the train to Chicago to start a new life. Her son, Petrit, joined her in Chicago in 1977.

In Chicago, Elizabeth worked for many years as a chemist. She supervised diagnostic and chemical labs, first for Faber Labs and later for Safety-Kleen, Inc. She moved to Madison in 2003 after retiring from chemical work.

Elizabeth helped many of her Polish family members to immigrate and find jobs within the United States. She loved telling stories about her wide-ranging experiences. She greatly enjoyed family gatherings, and she was especially proud of her two granddaughters. She also enjoyed crochet, needlepoint, jazz, and Egyptology. She was an avid reader, and she deeply loved her cats.

Elizabeth is survived by her son, Petrit (Martha) Alibali, granddaughters Mariana and Lauren Alibali, sister Ewa Retzer, brother Tadeusz (Małgosia) Kulawik, nieces Beata Stolarek and Kasia Retzer, nephew Dave Kulawik, grand-nephew Sebastian Stolarek, and many cousins, relatives-in-law, and friends. She was preceded in death by her brother, Robert Kulawik, and by her mother and father, Józef and Marianna Kulawik.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations may be made to one of Elizabeth’s favorite charities, the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists, or to the Second Harvest Food Bank.

If you would like to honor Elizabeth’s life, please cozy up with a feline friend, read a novel, listen to Abba, do a word search puzzle, or enjoy a Ferrero Rocher chocolate.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, August 14, 2026, at Blessed Sacrament Church, 2121 Rowley Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin. Visitation will begin at 10:00 AM, and the Funeral Mass will be at 11:00 AM. Burial will be at Resurrection Cemetery, 2705 Regent Street, immediately after Mass. Following the burial, there will be a luncheon in the friary at Blessed Sacrament Church.

Please share your memories of Elizabeth by posting in her guestbook.

Cress Funeral & Cremation Service

3610 Speedway Road Madison

(608) 238-3434