Jerzy Sosnowski

SOSNOWSKI _ Jerzy (George) April 22, 1914 - January 5, 2009 It is with both sadness and gratitude for a life well-lived that we announce the peaceful passing of Jerzy (George) Sosnowski on January 5, 2009 in Calgary, Alberta, of natural causes. He is survived by his wife Maria, his sons Mark, Andrew and Christopher, his daughter Monica and their spouses, his ten grandchildren, and his sister Celina Sienkiewicz. Jerzy was born on April 22, 1914, in Gdancowka near Krzywy Rog, Ukraine, the third child of Polish parents Piotr and Kazimiera Sosnowski. At the age of five, he and his family were forced to flee Ukraine for Poland due to the Russian Revolution. He grew up in Sosnowiec and completed a Master of Science degree in Geological Engineering at the Akademia Gornicza in Krakow. In 1939, at the beginning of the Second World War, the invasion of Poland forced Jerzy, with his army unit, to retreat to Hungary. From there he made a difficult journey across Europe to England. For the rest of the war, he was based in Great Britain and supported the Allies as an interpreter, engineer and paratrooper in the Polish Parachute Brigade. After the war, he did additional study in London in seismology. In 1950, he immigrated to Canada to work in the oil industry in the west. In 1953, he married Maria Morys. Over the following years, Jerzy continued his career in the oil patch in Canada and Brazil. He officially retired from BP in 1984. On August 15, 2006, Jerzy was given an honourary promotion to the rank of Major by the Polish army. Relatives and friends are invited to Prayers at St. James Catholic Church (5504 - 20 Street S.W.) on Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church (2111 Uxbridge Drive N.W.) on Monday, January 12, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. with The Rev. Czeslaw Rybacki, S.CH. Presider. Graveside Service to follow at Mountain View Memorial Gardens. Condolences may be forwarded to the family through www.commemorativeservices.ca . In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Calgary Meals on Wheels ( www.mealsonwheels.com ). Arrangements in care of COMMEMORATIVE SERVICES FUNERAL DIRECTORS. Telephone: 403-265-1199. Calgary Family Owned www.commemorativeservices.ca