Obituary of Tadeusz Koszucki

Koszucki, Tadeusz “Tad” Passed away peacefully at his home in St. Catharines on Thursday March 11, 2010. In his 90th year, Tadeusz Koszucki, beloved husband of Olga Koszucki. Loved father of George Koszucki (Jacqueline). Loving grandfather of Roman. Predeceased by one brother Henry. Tadeusz was born on Feb. 3, 1921 in the Polish town of Bydgoszcz. A son of a military officer, he grew up in a strict yet comfortable environment. That comfort, along with educational plans, were shattered by WWII. Upon fleeing Poland, Tadeusz joined up with the French partisan movement and eventually with the Polish divisions moving up through Italy under General Montgomery. In the post-war confusion, he moved between England and France and as luck would have it, met Olga Kowelko in Paris. They married in 1951 and in 1954 joined the migration to North America. After ten years in Montreal, they settled into a little bungalow in the quiet Glenridge area of St. Catharines in 1963. It was in that house, that he loved, that he spent the next 47 years. Not only did he live there, but he realized his desire to pass away in that home, free of hospitalization and institutionalization. He spent the next 47 years working at the paper mill, travelling the world over, visiting his son in Nova Scotia where many a lobster dinner was enjoyed at Hall’s Harbour and funnelling his time productively into the arts and crafts. There was not anything that he couldn’t do including paintings, sculptures, chess sets and knick-knacks (that he reverse-engineered from the Florida tourist-traps). He played a mean game of checkers and particularly enjoyed playing with his life long friend Frank Aiello. Much wine was enjoyed along with meaningful conversations on a host of issues. He always said that “if you don’t learn something or appreciate a different viewpoint, there wasn’t much point in talking”. Many thanks to the home care workers who brightened up his life, which he acknowledged by whipping them in checkers and the host of neighbours who have made his last few years as enjoyable as they could be. Friends may call at the Patrick J. Darte Funeral Chapel, 39 Court St., St. Catharines (905-685-6584) on Sunday March 14, 2010 from 2 to 4pm. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Julia Church, 251 Glenridge Avenue, St. Catharines on Monday March 15, 2010 at 10am. Rite of committal to follow at Victoria Lawn Cemetery. Memorial donations to Parkinson Society Southwestern Ontario, 117 … 4500 Blakie Rd., London, ON N6L 1G5 (519-652-9437) or to the charity of your choice would be appreciated by the family.