Teresa was a remarkable woman who achieved much during her life having conquered adversity. She was the heart and soul of our family.
Teresa was born on May 15, 1931 in Miastkowo (Łomża district) Poland. She was the only daughter of the late Jan and Franciszka Oleś. Together with her parents and her three late brothers, Mieczysław, Eugeniusz and Marian, she was deported to the northern Soviet Union (Archangielsk oblast’) on February 10, 1940.
When amnesty was declared in July 1941, she was evacuated together with her family from the Soviet Union to Iran where her father died in September 1942. Shortly thereafter they were evacuated to Polish settlements in British India (Valivada, Kalapur region) where she remained until 1948. She arrived in the United Kingdom as a political refugee on March 11, 1948. Educated at Stowell Park England and Teachers College, Sacred Heart College University of Southampton, England, she began her teaching career in London.
Married to Alexander Opaliński in Melton Mowbray on August 6, 1955, together they departed for a new life in Canada in June of 1957. Teresa was a gifted teacher who continued her teaching career in Toronto until her retirement in 1996. She earned her B.A, and M.A. from the University of Toronto in 1977 and 1981. She spent her retirement involved in the church giving of her time to the parish council, ShareLife, as a lector, minister of communion and marriage preparation instructor at St. Casimir’s parish, Toronto. Teresa left this world on January 31, 2022. She was a loving and devoted wife to Alexander and a kind, generous and loving mother to her three children: Joanna (Fred), Yvonne (Constantine) and Alexander John, and to her five grandchildren: Fredziuś, Alexander, Kallista, Karisa and Maximillian. She is also survived by her nieces, nephews and many friends.

May she rest in eternal peace.