Ewa Barbara Dudak-Pawlik

"Seeing is believing.” For many, those words simply represent a motto. But for Ewa Barbara Dudak-Pawlik, it summarized in every way who she was. She was modest, quiet and observant, taking in everything around her and always thinking before acting. She was a realist, someone who was efficient and practical in everything she did. She was a friendly person who truly cared about those around her.

She was the daughter of Stanislaw and Stefania Dudak. Raised in Pabianice, Poland, she was brought up to be tolerant and trustworthy. As a child, she learned to be conscientious, responsible and punctual. These were all traits that she would carry with her throughout her life.

As a young girl, Ewa was always aware of how others around her felt and this quality served her well. With a deep capacity to tolerate the feelings of others, Ewa was generally able to avoid conflicts. It seemed as if Ewa was the family member who was always working to keep stress at bay. Preferring a quiet environment where she could concentrate, Ewa also had the ability to relate well with her family and friends. Ewa was raised with one sibling. She had one brother, Andrzej Dudak. Ewa was constantly involved in activities with her family. Ewa and her sibling had the typical rivalries while growing up but they deeply cared for each other and shared many life experiences over the years.

Ewa enjoyed learning. She always had a great memory and was particularly skilled at retaining factual information. Ewa was generally quiet in class, learning best through observation. She often showed great concentration and was competent at completing the tasks at hand. Good with details, Ewa was painstaking and accurate in her efforts. All of these talents culminated in a successful high school career. Ewa enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite subjects and teachers.

Ewa had a good disposition for the challenges of college. She always enjoyed reading, so all of those lengthy required reading assignments seemed to be less of a burden for her. In fact, Ewa seemed to absorb and remember everything she read. Not all things came easily to Ewa, however, and she found success by being a diligent and accurate person who would dig into a project and work through until it reached its completion. She was very thorough and labored long and hard in order to reach her goals. She earned her degree in Chemical Engineering. Her favorite courses were chemistry and medical classes.

Most folks would say that Ewa was shy until they got to know her. Those who were privileged to know her well learned that she was a solid, good friend. Ewa was reluctant to generalize about people, and she based her friendships on her personal experiences. Because of this, Ewa best trusted those people that she truly knew. She was concerned about how those around her felt, and she always seemed to uncover the positive side of people. She could relate to others and had the ability to see their point of view, to “walk a mile in their shoes,” as the saying goes. The friends that she made, Ewa kept. Later in life, she became friends with many, many Polish Americans who became family.

Ewa was a good mother to her son. She had “old fashioned” parental values and could handle typical family conflicts in a fair and calm manner. Because she trusted emotions, Ewa was reluctant to force issues and used gentle persuasion to resolve situations. In this way she seemed to radiate an aura of warmth and caring to those around her, always thinking before acting. In addition, Ewa was a master planner. No matter how hectic life around her might be, she seemed to know and track everyone’s schedule. Ewa was blessed with one child, her son, Jaroslaw Adam Pawlik.

If you gave Ewa a deadline, she would meet it. At work, Ewa was always on task. Without hesitation, Ewa could adhere to any assignment and see it through to its completion. She was employed for 26 years by the City of Austin. Ewa was a Senior Chemist and a Quality Assurance Officer at the time of her retirement. Ewa excelled in working with small groups in order to complete assignments. She was able to quickly grasp concrete ideas and could organize and plan the best way to accomplish things with remarkable consistency. Ewa was good at staying on track and was considerate in listening to what others had to say. In this way, Ewa had a true gift for being able to come up with practical resolutions to difficult problems. She was often the team member who managed to put forth a win/win solution for all parties. She also contributed to the Austin Energy Regional Science Festival.

Ewa liked to experience things first hand, in addition to simply learning about them. This quality influenced Ewa's choice of leisure time activities. A methodical and patient worker, Ewa preferred to set aside uninterrupted time to work on her hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were gardening, cooking, and playing bridge. Ewa was content to sit quietly alone, enjoying her hobbies all by herself and could often be found just reading about her favorite pastimes.

While thorough and measured in her approach to things, Ewa often liked to physically do things rather than just think about them. She was like that with sports. She also enjoyed the statistical data and the facts behind the sports. In this way, she was something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite teams whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were to watch her son playing basketball and watching all sports with her son.

Due to her excellent organizational skills, Ewa was a welcome addition to the professional and community organizations to which she belonged. Ewa could bring established, successful methods to the discussion table, along with a generous helping of common sense. Ewa was good at making and keeping schedules and never got bogged down in unnecessary details. Throughout her later years, Ewa was an active member of the Austin Polish Society and Toastmaster's.

An individual who respected and maintained traditional values, her faith was important to Ewa. Her compassion, consideration and sympathy toward others were evident in her personal beliefs. She was a member St. Catherine's Catholic Church.

Anyone who traveled or went on vacation with Ewa had smooth sailing. It was often taken for granted that she was the trip planner. She would start early and examine all of the possibilities, selecting the best and most effective options. Favorite vacations included Poland, Schlitterbahn, Costa Rica and Hawaii.

Ewa had Zack, a miniature dachshund, who was her best friend for 14 years. Ewa was as loyal to her pets as they were to her.

When Ewa's retirement finally arrived in December 31, 2011, she was well prepared. She had taken the time to learn about her various options and chose her course wisely. In retirement, she found new pleasure in floral classes at Austin Community College and traveling. Even in retirement, Ewa continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in the community and felt fulfilled with the opportunities retirement offered her.

Ewa passed away on Saturday, June 16, 2012 at her beautiful home in Shady Hollow due to a heart attack. She is survived by her son, Jaroslaw Pawlik and Erica Peterson of Austin, Malgorzata Dudak, Krzysztof Dudak and Szymon Dudak, her family in Poland. She was preceded in death by her mother, Stefania Dudak, her father Stanislaw Dudak, and her brother Andrzej Dudak.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Friday, June 22, 2012 with Recitation of the Rosary at 7:00 p.m. at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home. Ewa will be laid to rest in Poland, next to her parents.

It is said that some people can’t see the forest for the trees. Ewa was able to focus on each individual tree, tending to its needs, thus making the forest stronger as a whole. Ewa was a trustworthy, pragmatic and sympathetic person, the kind of woman to whom everyone was drawn. She was thorough and practical. Ewa Dudak-Pawlik was very literal with her words. You always knew where you stood with Ewa. She will be missed.