It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of beloved father and grandfather Jacek Ratajczak, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Toronto. He leaves behind his three children, Pawel, Paulina (Wojtek), and Michalina, his four grandchildren, Julia, Natalia, Suzanna, and Karina, and his sister, Jola. He is predeceased by his parents, Wanda and Edmund, and his brother, Jan.

Consolingly and fittingly, Jacek died right after attending mass on “Laetare” Sunday, a celebratory day in the Church’s calendar within the otherwise penitential season of Lent. It anticipates the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter. He died at St. Joseph’s Hospital, the saint to whom Jacek had a deep devotion.

Jacek was born on the Hel Peninsula, Poland, on May 5th, 1948, surrounded by the shores of the Baltic Sea. He loved living next to the water and would often reminisce about being close to the sea. Jacek completed his Masters degree at the University of Wroclaw in Polish Philology. He worked as a journalist and editor in both radio and print. Deeply influenced by the election of Pope John Paul II to the papacy in 1978, Jacek returned to his Catholic faith, which marked a profound shift in the development of his values – a growth and development that continued for the rest of his life. As his journalistic vocation was put into question by Poland’s martial law in 1982, and finding Poland’s political climate growing ever more repressive with seemingly no end in sight, Jacek immigrated to Canada with his wife and three children in 1986.

In Canada, Jacek finally settled with his family in the GTA where they plugged in to the vibrant Polish Catholic community at St. Maximilian Kolbe, where he served as Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, Lector, and faithfully attended Mass and Eucharistic Adoration every week for over 25 years. He also supported his children in various activities in their upbringing, such as their avid involvement in Polish Scouts and requisite summer camps. Jacek never lost his intellectual curiosity and love of reading and expounding on various topics; in his last few years, where he was living at Copernicus Lodge on Roncesvalles Avenue, he planned and delivered lectures on music theory. He also maintained a personal blog.

He will be remembered for, among other attributes, his steady presence, uncompromising good taste, and the strong principles that he passed down to his children. He was always ready to enjoy a Sunday afternoon with his family with strong coffee, good Scotch, lively debate, and keen commentary on current world events.

Jacek’s funeral mass will be held at St. Maximilian Kolbe in Mississauga on Friday, March 27th at 9:30am. Family and friends are also welcome to view the funeral through a livestream from the St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish website: www.kolbe.ca

The family would like to express their gratitude to the staff at Copernicus Lodge for their professional and compassionate care. In lieu of flowers, his family is asking instead for donations to be made to Birthright Brampton.