It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of “Richard” Ryszard Kazimierz Jankowski at 91 years of age.
Richard was predeceased by his parents Julian and Rozalia, his first wife “Zosha”, his eldest brother Kazimierz (who disappeared in Warsaw after both older brothers were captured and taken to Warsaw to labour in a factory), and his brother Leonard.
He is survived by his wife Teresa, his daughters Jo-Anne and Linda. He will also be sadly missed by his grandchildren Michael (Kathy, Mikey Jr and Markus), Kelly (Curtis, Stella and Juniper) and Rebecca (Denis, Vanessa), Margaret (Trinity), Katherine, and Hugh. He is also survived by many relatives in Central and Eastern Poland and the now Ukraine.
Richard was born in Golab, Poland. He was a child during World War II. When the Eastern Front of the war came very close to his town, his family relocated to a relative’s home. He tried to join the French Foreign Legion, but they threw him out because he was too young. As a child he loved the outdoors and brought that spirit with him to Canada. He travelled as far as Trieste and saw the destruction of the war and didn’t like it. Richard read that Canada was looking for workers and he immigrated to Canada in 1951 having found a job at a Rabbit Lake stud mill in the Temagami area.
When fall came, he learned that INCO in Sudbury was hiring, and he moved there getting a job at the Frood Mine. He was offered a position as shift boss at one point, and he turned it down. He retired after almost 35 years working underground. While the family still lived in the Donovan, first on Burton Avenue, he also worked part time as a butcher at the Polish Food Store at the corner of Montague and Kathleen Streets. Richard would bring home warm kielbasa that he had made during his shift to our apartment at the back of the store. He loved the birthday cakes especially and other treats from Leinala’s Finnish Bakery on Antwerp Street.
Richard’s passions were fishing, camping, and hunting. He built two camps and from #1 Carlyle Lake he took us on many excursions by boat and by foot with cached boat. He spent much time with family and friends in the Killarney, MacGregor Bay, Manitoulin Island, the Ramsey area, and Nipissing Lake areas as well numerous other places on camping, fishing, and ice fishing trips. His deer and moose hunting trips were on Manitoulin Island and further afield in Northern Ontario. Later he proclaimed that the best bread that he ever had was at his friends’ log house in Beaverstone. He had friends all over Ontario and beyond and he influenced many of us by sharing his adventures with him in the great outdoors.
In his later years, he enjoyed sitting in his backyard and garden surrounded by the trees he transplanted there and the animals that came to visit including the ducks he started feeding in Junction Creek. He painted a visiting turtle in 1967 with a variety of colours in the shape of the Centennial Maple Leaf on its underside and relocated it to Lily Creek off of Paris Street at the Ramsey Lake area. He brought the ducks to Junction Creek behind his yard by beginning to feed them and because of this now there is a duck crossing sign on Cross Street. He also enjoyed watching nature programs on television in his spare time.
He returned many times to Poland, first in 1972, after our family was located by Zosha’s sister’s search. After retirement, he went to Poland where he met his second wife Teresa. They made many visits together back to the old country. In the end Richard loved Canada and its people more than Poland and chose not to return there in his final years. His motto in the 1970’s was “It’s great to be a Northerner” which he adopted from Doran’s Northern Breweries and said often. Also, he went dip netting for whitefish and started his hobby of smoking fish and kielbasa in his backyard.
Richard was a long standing and proud member of the Polish Combatants Association Branch 24 of Sudbury. He also attended church regularly at St. Casimir’s R.C. Church and the Church of Christ the King in Sudbury over the years. Ryszak’s (Rysiu) polish and Slavic circle of friends were like family in Canada.
Richard has been cremated and Mass and interment will be held at a later date. Richard once said, “don’t use the word hate; it’s too strong a word”. He was the captain of our family and our Polish boat The Bismarck. His kindness towards his family and friends will not be forgotten and the cherished memories of him will live on in our hearts forever. May he rest in peace in Heaven surrounded by family and friends, Tippy and Sasha his dogs, fishing and forever asking “Did anyone catch any fish?” and dreaming of his next adventure.
Thank you to Sabina M, Mirek S, Pani Stasza J. and families, the Burton Street crew and to the people of Sudbury who cared about Richard and the Lougheed Funeral Homes.
“Sto lat, niech zyje nam”.