TERESA TARNOWSKI

TARNOWSKI--Teresa. After a year's passing. Teresa Tarnowski fulfilled every day her lifelong goal of being good -- warm, empathetic, and generous. Born in Gdansk, Poland on September 24, 1930 to Henryk Strasburger and Olga (nee Dunin), she fondly recalled her childhood in Warsaw and family summers in Granowko near Poznan. The 1939 invasion of Poland caused Teresa's family to depart. When her father was established as a minister in the Polish government in exile in London, Teresa, her mother and brother Henry embarked for North America. At WWII's end, Teresa's family were reunited in England. Teresa was accepted at the Old Vic theater school and became a stage actress. She also worked as a model, a path opened by her extraordinary personal beauty. Teresa's brother introduced her to a college friend, Andrew Tarnowski. They married in July 1953 in London and eventually immigrated to the United States. Settling in New Canaan, they raised three children, Andrea, Olga and Peter. After years at home as a mother, Teresa took up other work, recording many books as a reader for the blind and relishing dawn hours delivering the New York Times. In fifteen years with the international relief organization Americares, Teresa travelled with medicines and supplies from Lebanon to Sudan and Armenia to Rwanda. She always offered comfort. In her mid 60s, Teresa went on to yet another long career, teaching English to adults. Her own experiences in the U.S. as both refugee and immigrant gave her insight into challenges her students faced. Teresa died on September 15th, 2019 in Connecticut. Her children, grandchildren and beloved gardens miss her dearly.