Thaddeus S. Mirecki

Ted was born in Leżajsk, Poland in 1944 as World War II raged on, the son of two members of the Armia Krajowa (Home Army), Kazimierz and Stanisława (née Gliniak). After the war’s end the family escaped to France, where they lived as Displaced Persons. Ted’s two sisters Mary and Barbara were born in France, and the family emigrated to Canada in 1950. The family settled in Guelph, Ontario and acquired Canadian citizenship.

In 1960 Ted moved countries yet again, arriving in Chicago to study at the University of Illinois and the Illinois Institute of Technology. He completed a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a master’s degree in computer science. He eventually became an American citizen.

In Chicago he found his home in the Polish diaspora known as Polonia, joining the Związek Harcerstwa Polskiego, the Polish scouting organization. There he met Irena Szymczak, and they married in 1967. Polish scouts from the troop he led lined the aisles during their marriage ceremony. Ted later served as the hufcowy (head) of the boy’s scouting division, Hufiec Warta.

Two daughters were born during their time in Chicago, Joanna and Marta. Ted and Irena continued their involvement and support of Polish organizations including Emilia Plater Polish School.

In 1987 Ted, Irena, and younger daughter Marta moved to the Washington DC suburbs. They joined the Polish community centered around Our Lady Queen of Poland and St. Maximilian Kolbe Roman Catholic Church in Silver Spring, MD, where Ted served as head lector and chair of various committees. He also participated in the Polish American Congress Washington Metro Area Division (President), the American Council for Polish Culture, the Polish American Arts Association of Washington DC, the Friends of John Paul II Foundation (Founder and Co-Chair), the Stefan Korboński Foundation, and the Association of Polish Knights of Malta.

Ted always worked in technical fields, as an engineer at Sherwin Williams Chemical Corporation, an economist at CF Industries, a writer at PC Tech Journal and PC Magazine, and finally as a consulting services team lead at Microsoft. Alongside, he was an accomplished translator of books and texts from Polish to English and was recognized by Poland's Ministry of Culture and National Heritage for his many publications.

Ted loved classical music his entire life, playing classical piano as a child and attending season after season of opera at the Lyric Opera in Chicago and later the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He served on the board at the National Philharmonic in Washington DC and sponsored rising stars in the classical music world, especially those of Polish descent. After his retirement he traveled to New York and Santa Fe, NM to see the latest operas, always sending family a detailed trip report upon his return.

His efforts were recognized with numerous awards from Polonia, the Catholic Church, and the Polish Government. In 2001 Ted was awarded the Cavalier Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, the highest order awarded to Poles residing outside the country who have rendered great service to Poland.

Other awards include the Polish American Congress Distinguished Service Award, the International Friends of Music Association Paderewski Award for Distinguished Contributions to Society and Culture, the Polish Apostolate Committee Pride of Polonia Award, the Archdiocese of Washington Dedicated Service Award, and most recently a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Council for Polish Culture.

Ted stated: From the first breath I took, I was a Pole. I am a Pole.

Ted is survived by his daughters, Joanna Millunchick (Richard) of Bloomington, IN; Marta (Mark Kane) of Singapore; grandchildren Ben, Ava, Tessa, and Cyprian; sister Barbara of Chicago; and nieces, nephews, and cousins across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Irena, his wife of 45 years, died in 2012.

A funeral mass will take place on Thursday, September 18, 2025 at 10:00 AM at Our Lady Queen of Poland and St. Maximilian Kolbe Roman Catholic Church, 9700 Rosensteel Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910. A reception will follow at the Knights of Columbus Hall at 9707 Rosensteel Ave. Private interment will occur at a later date at The National Shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa in Doylestown, PA.