Maria Dworzecka

At the end of her life, let us not merely rest content with recalling what such a towering personality like Maria did for the Department of Physics and Astronomy or the College of Science Dean´s Office. Maria also participated in the creation of the Engineering Department, Institute of Computational Sciences, School of Engineering, School of Physics, Astronomy and Computational Sciences, and the Biomedical Engineering Department. She also participated in the design of S&T 1 (now Planetary Hall), S&T 2 (now Exploratory Hall), Innovation Hall, Horizon Hall, and-of course!-Research Hall and the George Mason University Observatory.

I had the good fortune to be linked with Maria for over forty years of colleagueship and friendship. He came to admire her grandeur, strength, purity of will, austerity, objectivity, and incorruptible judgement. With her myriad activities-and as noted by some-Maria at times may have been argumentative, but with a good cause: once she had deemed a particular solution as the right one, she pursued it without compromise and with extreme tenacity, to great effect and the benefit of so many. These are all characteristics seldom found in a single human being.

I came to realize that Maria felt herself a servant to her colleagues and her students-even when some came to call her Doctor Death, because of the difficulties they had in her quantum physics class. Her profound modesty never left room for complacency. Maria was burdened by the asperities and inequities of society. She fought equally for tenured faculty, term faculty, administrative assistants, and computer technicians. Because of his own trials and travails in establishing the astronomical observatory, I will most remember Maria´s tireless support. I found it difficult to ignore the tragedies in her early life that certainly formed the basis for her service to the larger community, and was so moved that he even wrote a book about them.

There is likely never to be another like Maria Dworzecka. And because of this I asked the president of GMU to have the observatory named in her honor. He has also approached the Soros Foundation for support in the naming of the observatory for Maria.

If but a small part of Maria Dworzecka´s strength of character and devotion were still alive in the department and college, both would continue to face a bright future.

I remember our coffees in my office and then with Sara Lee´s cakes at our home. In the las year we would go to Arties for lunch and coffee.

When I first came to Mason , Vikas introduced me to her as one of the key people I would be working with.

Marysiu! Nie bylo juz na ´swiecie nikogo, kogo bym znal dluzej niz Ciebie. Do zobaczenia!
Marek

Such a wonderful friend. I am so so sorry.

Message for Ania
Condolences from your mom´s friend Barbara´s friend marsha. Barbara spoke fondly of your mother and your mother´s excitement about you. Feel free to contact me.

Marysia and I have known each other and been friends for 40 years.

We spent many holidays together, birthdays, and family vacations together. My sons called her Ciocia(Aunt) and her daughter Ania called me Ciocia. We were like Family.
Marysia helped me a lot in my life especially in the last 20 years after my husband's death. Including as a mentor for my eldest son who also entered Academia.

In the last few years I stayed with her every week for 2-3 days. We even were able to go on a final cruise in December 2019 just before the pandemic. We spent the 2020 pandemic isolated together. I helped to take care of her in her final year when her cancer had returned.

I miss you very much Marysia. I miss the long time spent together, conversations, memories, trips to the cinema and restaurants. Always. You will stay alive in my memory,

Annia Sulkowski

Dear Ania, Natalie, and Eric.
We are very sad to learn about Marysia's passing -please, accept our deep condolences. Marysia was Tomek's teacher at the University of Warsaw. When we moved to Maryland many years later, Marysia "adopted" us into the network of her friends so we could feel at home. I remember how happy she was when Ania entered her life; we all celebrated this with her. Marysia had a big heart; she was always caring and helping others. We will cherish memories of our dear friend. May she rest in peace. Jaga and Tomek Giebultowicz

"Once she had recognized a certain way as the right one, she pursued it without compromise and with extreme tenacity." [from Einstein's eulogy to Marie Curie]

I sincerely thank Maria for all she had done in helping me and mentoring me since I joined the faculty twenty-five years ago and later as a new chair for the department. I always valued her directness and no-none-senseness on all issues. She was always fair to all and at the same time played special attention in bringing up the ones who might not be able to speak up for themselves. Both as chair and later as an associate dean, she always fought hard to provide new resources for the department. The department has grown through the years and I can truly say that her contributions to the department cannot be overstated. Personally, I always thought that she reminded me of my mom who was also strong, fair, and attentive to her family. It is unfortunate that cancer has taken her away from us too soon. However, I am sure that most of our faculty and former students will continue to remember her fondly. Rest in peace.

Maria and I had coffee every week for 10 years at Mason before she retired. Sara Lee and I continued the weekly meetings at our home and going out for lunch each week for these past 4 years. We really miss her