Irena Maria Szpak née Rustecka, died quickly and peacefully on Friday, January 7th at The Ottawa Hospital with her daughter Kita at her side. She was 95 years old.
Irena was born in Warsaw, Poland. She spent 11 years attending the same private school for girls - the final five years under very difficult wartime conditions. As one of the gifted students, Irena received supplementary instruction in foreign languages and math.
Irena joined the clandestine Girl Guides in 1942. After the fall of the Warsaw uprising in 1944 in which she served as a messenger in the headquarters of col. Edward Pfeiffer (pseud. "Radwan"), she spent the rest of the war In German POW camps. In 1945, she completed her secondary education in a specially organized school in Germany.
The following year, Irena passed a competitive exam and obtained a scholarship to study at the London University in England. She married her high school sweetheart, and in time had three children. She gave her education a break to look after their children, while her husband, Edwin, worked full time on his engineering degree. She obtained her BA degree as an external student at the University of London (England) a few years later after the family settled in Ontario, Canada.
With credits in math, physics and foreign languages, Irena worked for 18 years as a technical translator in Alcan Labs in Kingston, translating patents and scientific papers from German, French, Russian, Japanese and, of course, Polish. She represented her company at International Federation of Translators (FIT) congresses in Vienna, Warsaw and, finally, in New York, where she presented a paper on "Scientific and Technical Translation". After early retirement, Irena and Edwin participated in the early nineties in the program CESO designed to help, among others, India, as well as the nations freed from Soviet domination. They spent the longest periods of time in Poland helping selected companies to adjust their operations to a market economy. In addition, the then President of Poland, Lech Walesa, awarded Irena the Medal of Resistance and the Warsaw Uprising Cross for her valiant participation. She also travelled back to Poland on several occasions to visit family and to participate in Warsaw Uprising anniversaries.
Irena lived in Kingston, her home for over 45 years, where she kept busy with various projects, and never one to avoid a challenge, played tennis and took piano lessons well into her 80s. She published her book “Trains: A Journey of Remembrances” in 2005. Upon Edwin’s passing in 2011, Irena eventually came to Ottawa to be closer to her children and grandchildren, moving into a senior’s residence in her last years. A final project closest to her heart, “Czlowieku! Man What a Life!”, a tribute to her beloved husband, was completed in September 2021.
Irena is survived by her loving family; Son Christopher Szpak, daughter, Kita Szpak, Ottawa; son Robert Szpak (Lillian), grandsons Michael Sunshine (Tanya) Patrick Szpak (Bryna Hallam), Victoria; Jordie Jussup (Laura-Lee), Robert Jussup (Julia), Alex Jussup (Sarah), Ottawa; and five great-grandchildren.
Cremation has taken place. A mass of remembrance will be celebrated on Sunday, January 23, 2022, at 11 am EDT at St. Hyacinthe’s Church in Ottawa. Those planning to attend the mass need to register beforehand and follow health guidelines. The service will be broadcast on YouTube at: https://swjacek.ca/en/ Click on Parish TV at 11 am. To register to attend mass in person, go to: https://sainthyacinthparish.flocknote.com/signup