SOBOLEWSKI, Stanislaw 'Stan' - Passed away on December 17, 2020.
Born on August 27, 1927 in Sulejow, Poland, to Franciszek (Frank) Sobolewski and Katarzyna Szostak, Stan was the youngest of three siblings - Zofia (Patina) and Josephina (Przyborowska).
At the age of 10, Stan and his family were transported by cattle car to Siberia where they suffered through the ravages of WWII in a forced labour camp.
Following Amnesty, they fled south to Uzbekistan where at 15 Stan joined the Polish Army Cadets spending time in Uzbekistan, Persia (now Iran), Iraq, Palestine, Egypt and Italy.
In training as an armourer, forward thinking Stan also apprenticed himself as a watchmaker under a skilled superior officer.
When the war ended, Stan was discharged from the military and reunited with his family in Edinburgh, Scotland. Here he met and married the love of his life Elzbieta (Elizabeth). A year later they welcomed their daughter Irena (Lawrenson) and three years later their son Roman. One year after immigrating to Canada in 1958, their daughter Krystyna (Roberts) joined the family.
Stan worked for Timex, Canada for 28 years as their first and only watch production foreman. He was much respected for his knowledge, affability and the many jobs he provided to new Polish immigrants for which they were perpetually grateful. After retiring from Timex, Stan worked for an additional six years as the maintenance engineer at Proctor-Redfern.
In retirement, Stan was the President of the Polish Army Cadets for six years. He was also very involved with the Broadlands Community Centre winning multiple awards in lawn bowling, shuffle board, cribbage and his favourite, bid euchre. Always active in his community, the neighbours on his street fondly referred to him as the “Mayor of Bamber Court”.
After his 90th birthday, Stan and Elizabeth moved to the Donway Revera Retirement Home. There they had two years together and then he spent his last year as a widower missing his lovely Elizabeth.
Stan will be greatly missed by his children and their spouses (Ralph Lawrenson, Helen Sobolewski and Craig Fielding) and his grandchildren (Deirdra Lawrenson, Caitlin and Lauren Roberts and Andrew Sobolewski) and great grandchildren.
Rest in peace, Dad (Dziadzi). You’ve earned it. We love you.
In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the Canadian Red Cross, Ontario Office P.O. Box 4000 Mississauga, ON L5M 9Z9 – the organization that reunited him with his family following WWII.
Due to COVID-19 the family would like to invite everyone to join them through live stream to view the funeral service on Monday December 21, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. http://www.livememorialservices.com/Home/ServiceDetail/8924.
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