It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Richard, a cherished husband, father, grandfather, and friend, who left us at the age of 78. Richard was the epitome of love, dedication, and selflessness. As a proud family man, he lived for the joy of those he held dear to his heart. Known for his ever-present smile and quirky sense of humor he was the kind of grandfather every grandchild dreams of having. Whether it was early morning school drop-off, spirited hockey practices, soccer, or dance, Richard was always there cheering from the sidelines. His grandchildren were his greatest treasure and he never missed a moment to support them. Whether sharing a story or offering a comfortable hug Richard made every moment count, he built lasting memories with family that will be cherished forever, even during his last weeks he was still beating us with his Crokinole board game.

Richard was a hardcore sports enthusiast. Whether cheering for his beloved grandchildren in their athletic endeavors or watching his favorite teams play, sports brought him an incomparable sense of joy and happiness. He loved watching the Windsor Spitfire hockey games with his grandchildren and was a textbook die-hard Toronto Maple Leafs fan. Every year before the playoffs, you could set your watch to the times when he would say as most Leaf's fans do; “This is our year,” just to see them lose in the first round again and have that same sense of hope the following year. Luckily, he witnessed their last Stanley Cup win in 1967 and would always share stories of the celebrations in the Toronto streets and reminisce about how he watched the game. He was also a patron of the national Polish soccer team, patriotically waking up very early in the morning wearing his Lewandowski jersey and shorts to watch their Euro or World Cup matches, with some Jägermeister to celebrate their victories. Richard’s love of music began at an early age as a teen he would spend his hard-earned money from his first job, at Sam the Record Man on Yongue Street buying the latest LPs. His acute sense and remarkable ability to recognize music by hearing just a few notes of a song was a testament to his deep connection to music. This rare talent amazed everyone with how he could effortlessly identify melodies and recall cherished tunes with precision and joy. In his later days, he shared this passion with his family, showing them his record collection and playing his favorite songs on his old-school record player, as he danced in the living room with his dear wife and grandchildren.

Richard leaves behind his loving wife, Jadwiga (JJ), his children Paul (Diane Banaczyk) and Catherine (the late Joshua Poisson), and his beloved grandchildren, Ella, Maximus, Luca, Stefen, Zachary, and Isabelle. He is survived by his extended family niece Julia (Frano Quintiliani) Angelo, sister-in-law Maria (Drago Kozul), and nephew Jerry Dombrowski (Jameka) Zenia, Andrew, Michael, and Jerry’s mother Larisa. He is lovingly remembered by his cousins Alfreda Bieniasz, Mariusz, Dariusz, and Dorothy. Plus, sadly missed by his extended family in Poland. Richard will greatly miss his dearest friend in the US who was like a brother, the late Lou Marchuk, and his family (Delores) Nicole and Adam. Memories of good times and summer outings were treasured parts of Richard’s life. His second family was his workplace with Via Rail employees stretching across Canada and the US with Amtrak. All his dearest friends were a cherished bond that enriched his life. A fitting farewell lyric from The Beatles:

“And in the end,
The love you take
Is equal to the love you make.”

As we bid farewell to Richard Bieniasz please join us to honor and celebrate Richard’s life for visitation on Thursday, November 21, 2024, from 5-8 pm at Turner & Porter Yorke Chapel, 2357 Bloor St. W, Toronto, and on Friday, November 22, 2024, at 10 am at St. Casimir’s Church, 156 Roncesvalle Ave Toronto for the funeral. In lieu of flowers please donate to the Canadian Cancer Association or the Heart and Stroke Foundation.