In Loving Memory :
Kazimierz Joseph Olejarczyk died peacefully on October 5th, 2014. He was 94 years old.
Arrangements are as follows:
Visitation Thursday (10/9) and Friday (10/10) 3-9 pm at Jarzembowski Funeral Home (18957 W Warren Ave, Detroit, MI 48228). Rosary Friday evening at 7pm.
Funeral Mass on Saturday (10/11) at 11 am at St. Cunegunda Church (5900 St Lawrence St Detroit, MI 48210). Viewing in church at 10:30 am.
Kazimierz Joseph Olejarczyk
Kazimierz Olejarczyk was born in 1919 in Jersey City, New Jersey, but grew up in Warsaw. While studying engineering at the Warsaw Polytechnic Institute, Germany invaded Poland and World War II began. Kazimierz volunteered for the Polish Air Force in exile (RAF), and transferred to the U.S. Army Air Force in 1944, serving with the 586th Bomber Squadron.
At war’s end, he moved to Michigan. He earned a BBA from the University of Michigan, an MBA and MA from the University of Detroit. In 1947 he married his childhood sweetheart, Bronislawa. He worked for General Motors Fisher Body for 33 years, retiring as a senior analytical systems engineer. He also taught Mathematics and Political Science at the University of Detroit. He reported for the Voice of America and translated for Radio Free Europe.
Kazimierz joined Polish American Congress, Michigan Division in 1965, serving as president for 16 years, beginning in 1969. During his terms, Mr. Olejarczyk brought the organization together and developed its leadership role among Polonia. During this time the Michigan Division of the PAC grew to 100 organizations and 200 individual members. It was able to purchase a building in Hamtramck, which continues to serve the Polish American community and the area. Under his leadership as president, then again as vice president for Polish Affairs (1985-2005), the division assisted the national PAC effort to help Poland regain its independence and become a member of NATO. He was a national director of PAC (1968-2007). His contributions are reflected in the first volume of the PAC Michigan division’s archives recently published by the Orchard Lake Schools.
Kazimierz Olejarczyk has been an active member of many organizations: Detroit Senior Chapter of the Polish Catholic Academic Association, “Veritas” (co-founder and several time president); American Polish Engineering Association (founding member); Polish Air Force Veterans Association and Post 7 of the Polish Americans Veterans Association; Polish American Congress of Michigan Federal Credit Union (founder and past director); PNA Group 1758; Friends of Polish Art, Polish Singers Alliance of America (life time member). He served on the Board of Directors of the Michigan Catholic Conference, International Institute, and was vice chairman of the Southeast Michigan Ethnic Heritage Studies Center. He has worked closely with various Detroit area ethnic communities. He has received many decorations and awards over the years, most notably, the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland in 1994 and was inducted into the Metropolitan Detroit International Heritage Hall of Fame in 2000.
Through the years, his voice has become known over the Detroit airwaves for the organization “Veritas” and later for the Polish American Congress on Detroit’s radio program “Polish Varieties.”
From: Resume (2008) (poles.org)
