In his 99th year, in Mississauga, Ontario, after a long and remarkable life, Bolesław Julius Fujarczuk passed away peacefully at home on June 6, 2023, surrounded by his loving family. Bolesław was a husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and proud Polish Canadian.

Bolesław was born on August 28, 1924 in Romanowka, Poland, one of five sons born to Jozef and Helena (née Litowinski). He and his family were taken from their home by Russian soldiers in February 1940 and sent to a Siberian concentration camp near the Arctic Circle in the District of Archangelsk. Jozef and Bolesław’s younger brother Bronisław perished in the camp. In 1941 the surviving members of the family were able to make their way to Uzbekistan. Bolesław was separated from his family, joined the Polish Army and travelled through what is now Turkmenistan to the Caspian Sea and then to Teheran, where he first served. He transferred from the army to the Polish Airforce and made his way via what was then Palestine, to Port Said, then by sea to Durban and Cape Town, South Africa and finally, after a lengthy sea voyage, to Liverpool, England.

In 1943 Bolesław served in the decorated 303 “Kosciusko” Squadron based at RAF Northolt. He transferred to Bomber Command after the D-Day invasion. The Polish Airforce was embedded in the RAF, and Boleslaw remained in the PAF/RAF until 1948. After being demobilized, Bolesław sailed for Canada. He arrived in Halifax on February 5, 1949, and finally rejoined his family the following day in Toronto.

His service in the Airforce was a defining element of Bolesław’s life. Through the years he remained close to his colleagues and was an active member of the Royal Canadian Air Force Association, 430 Warsaw Wing, and the Society of Polish Combatants (SPK).

Based in Mississauga, Bolesław built a successful business in construction and land development with his brothers Stanislaw and Karol.

Bolesław was a prominent and well-respected member of the Polish community. He was a significant donor to the Trillium Health Partners Foundation, a strong supporter of other charitable initiatives, and played important roles in founding the Wawel Villa Seniors Residence, St. Maximilian Kolbe Church, The John Paul II Polish Cultural Centre, and St. Eugène de Mazenod Church. Since 2012, Bolesław has hosted an annual summer golf tournament and banquet for Canadian Veterans. Hundreds of veterans have participated in this event over the years.

Bolesław was an avid sportsman. He enjoyed, and introduced his family to, fishing, golf, squash, and alpine skiing. He fished in places as diverse as the Styr river in the village where he was born and the waters off Alaska, and skied everywhere worth skiing in the Northern Hemisphere, from Austria to Aspen. Bolesław also brought a musical tradition from his homeland, which he passed on to the three generations that followed him.

Bolesław was predeceased by his wife of nearly 59 years, Alexandra (née Cristo), in 2009, his brothers Bronislaw (1941), Wladyslaw (1964), Stanislaw (2010) (late Stella), and Karol (2019) (survived by June). He is survived by: his children Richard (Diana), Teresa, Theodore (Anju); grandchildren Peter (Geneviève), Annelies Jesmer (Scott), William, Natasha Jones (Zachary); his companion Barbara Adamowicz; and by his great grandchildren Imelda, Caleb and Agnès Fujarczuk, Carter Jones, and Clara Jesmer — to whom he will always be affectionately known as Super Dziadziu.

He will be remembered most for his integrity, candour, wisdom, and his selfless commitment to family and community.

Among the many honours awarded to Bolesław are:

Polonia Restituta Cross
War Activities Cross
Pro Memoria Medal
Polish Services Gold Medal (Zloty Medal Wojska)
Survivors of Siberia Cross
Polish Air Force WW2 Medal
1939-1945 War Star
British Defence Medal
British Service Medal
Queen Elizabeth 60 Jubilee Medal
SPK Gold, Silver, Bronze Medals
Government of Poland Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit
Blękitne Skrzydła (Blue Wings), Poland’s highest civil aviation award

One of Bolesław’s last initiatives was the creation and installation of Spiral of Victory, a memorial to the Polish Men and Women who served in the Polish Air Force alongside the RAF in the Second World War. The Spiral of Victory is located adjacent to St Maximilian Kolbe Church in Mississauga.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the memorial, care of the Maximilian Kolbe Foundation: Spiral of Victory. Donations can be made at www.spiralofvictory.com

The family wishes to thank the dedicated team of medical professionals who supported Bolesław with such care and compassion, especially in his last months.

Friends may call at the Turner & Porter "Peel" Chapel, 2180 Hurontario St., Mississauga (Hwy 10 N. of Q.E.W) on Sunday June 18, 2023 from 2-4 & 7-9 pm.

A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Maximilian Kolbe Roman Catholic Church, 4260 Cawthra Rd., Mississauga (N. of Burnhamthorpe Rd. W.), on Monday June 19, 2023, at 9:30 am. The Mass will be livestreamed; please use the link below at the time of the service.

Interment Assumption Cemetery.

Online condolences may be made through www.turnerporter.ca