Obituary of Henryka Wegierski

Henryka Wegierski, BA, Master’s in Education

 

Henryka nee Wasowska was born in the village of Zebrowka in Poland, on 19 January 1932, and died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on 15 December 2023 (at 91 years of age).

 

She is survived by her son, Mark, and her sister, Celestyna. She was predeceased by her brother Marian. She is also survived by her niece (Marian’s daughter) Cecylia.

 

Henryka lived during exceedingly difficult times in Polish history, especially the war and German occupation in 1939-1945.

 

She recalled that she and her mother could see the flames of Warsaw burning from a distance, during the tragic Warsaw Uprising of 1944.

 

She also recalled seeing some of the battles between the Germans and Soviets in the Polish countryside.

 

She was able to finish high school after the war, obtaining the so-called matriculation. She worked on a number of administrative jobs after the war.

 

She met Feliks Wegierski in 1958 in Poland.

 

Feliks Wegierski had served as an artilleryman in the Polish Second Corps under British command, which fought in the Italian theatre-of-operations. He lived in England from 1945.

He moved to Canada in 1952.

 

After the era of Stalinist darkness, there occurred the period of “The Thaw” under the leadership of Wladyslaw Gomulka after 1956, who basically polonized the Communist system. Before 1956, the veterans of the Polish armed forces who had fought alongside the Allies, were largely banned from coming to Poland. Those few who returned were frequently subjected to harsh jail terms.

 

Feliks and Henryka were married in Poland on June 21, 1958.

 

Henryka had no problems getting into Canada, as the spouse of a Canadian citizen.

 

Their only son Mark was born in 1961.

 

She initially worked in a doll-making factory, but was quickly able to improve her status. She was able to rapidly learn English to a very high level of accomplishment.

 

She took a year long course at the Shaw Business School. She managed to get a job with the federal public service, but eventually resigned to start a career in teaching. She graduated from

Lakeshore Teachers’ College. She began teaching children in the Metropolitan Separate (Catholic) School Board. At the same time, she began studying evenings and part-time,

and eventually obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto.

 

In the 1970s, she continued her studies at the University of Toronto, obtaining a Master’s in Education degree.

 

At this time, she switched to teaching Adult English as a Second Language, with the MSSB.

 

Henryka was always active in the Polish-Canadian community and taught several years in the Polish Saturday schools. She was awarded the Gold Award of the Polish Teachers’ Association in Canada, as well as a Volunteer Service Award from the Government of Ontario.

 

She was able to impart a love of Polishness and the Polish cause to her son.

 

She was also instrumental in preparing a family memoir book, which included numerous wartime drawings of Feliks. The book was published in 2008 (on the occasion of their 50^th Wedding Anniversary).

 

After the death of Feliks in 2019, Henryka became afflicted with dementia, and suffered for four years, getting progressively worse.

 

She was loved and cared for at home the whole time, and passed away at home on Friday, 15 December 2023.

 

Henryka Wegierski, R.I.P.