Teresa Victoria Baranowski (née Teresa Wiktorja Stefanja Rzewuska) passed away on December 30, 2016 in Roseville, California. She was born November 25, 1925 in Bratoszewice, Poland to Kazimierz Rzewuski and Maria Plater-Zyberg Rzewuska.
Her early years were spent in Bratoszewice with winters spent in Rome where she would explore the Vatican Museum. This became a very important period in her life that had great influence in her development as a sculptor.
At the outbreak of WW II, at the age of 14 and with great risk to herself, Teresa became a member of the Polish underground (Armii Krajowej) under the pseudonym “Krzywda”. Teresa was also a member of the Polish and British Army where she received a bronze medal of service.
During the war, she continued her education with a matriculation in agriculture and then attended SGGW University in Warsaw. Ultimately, she and her family fled Poland and landed in Italy. After the war, she enrolled in Hammersmith School of Building Arts and Crafts in London until 1951.
In 1950 Teresa married Tadeusz Baranowski in London. They immigrated to the United States where their four children were born. Once settled in San Francisco, Teresa retooled her artistic skills to design custom jewelry. She owned San Francisco Casting Company where she created many original pieces for a wide array of clients and jewelers in the Bay Area.
In 1973 she discovered Auburn, California and permanently moved there in 1980. Through the thirty-six years she spent in Auburn she enjoyed having time to devote to painting, sculpture and her art. She invested in real estate and along the way remodeled many homes while physically accomplishing the work herself. During those years she also worked tirelessly on resolving repatriation issues in Poland on behalf of the Rzewuski family.
Her husband Tadeusz, brothers Kazimierz and Waclaw Rzewuski and her son Marc Baranowski, predeceased her. She is survived by her children Renata Sweet, Maria Baranowski (Jim) and Jacek Baranowski (Laura). “Baba” as she was endearingly called is also survived by her six grand children Keith, Nicholas (Vanessa), Amber (Brian), Kirsten (John), Katrina (Jacob), Stephen and two great grandchildren Luna and Sawyer.
Teresa was a visionary, a risk taker and innovator. She always looked forward, no matter the challenge. She will be greatly missed.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 28th at 1:00 pm at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Auburn with a reception immediately following.
1/9/17
Arrangements under the direction of Chapel of the Hills, Auburn, CA.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18