Jerzy Janik

1927 - 2012

Janik, Jerzy Prof.

Prof. Jerzy Janik died March 20th in Poland. The funeral was March 27th in Krakow, Poland. Every Easter since 1994 Prof. Janik has visited his family in Vestal: his daughter and her husband, Barbara and Mark Poliks, and his grandchildren, Marek and Elizabeth. He died on March 20th while he was on the train from Krakow to Warsaw. The next day he was supposed to fly to America for his annual Easter visit to Vestal. Professor Jerzy Janik, born in Lvov, Poland April 30 1927, was for many years Head of the Department of Structure Research of the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Krakow, Poland. He was a Full Member of the Polish Academy of Sciences and of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Foreign Member of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters. A number of scientific societies and boards counted him amongst their prominent fellows. He held honorary doctorates of the Adam Mickiewicz University and Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russian Federation. Professor Janik was a founder and organizer of seminars "Science-Religion-History" hosted by Pope John Paul II, of whom he was a close friend. He organized regular international meetings of scholars and scientists known as "Janik's Friends Meetings". Professor Janik, a broad-minded scholar, was also a philosopher, chairing the Commission for Natural Sciences Philosophy, Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was a mentor of several generations of physicists and chemists, and an outstanding and dedicated Teacher. A Memorial Mass for Prof. Jerzy Janik will be celebrated on Monday, April 9th at 11AM at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 157 Clark Street in Vestal. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall.