Anatol ("Tony" to his English-speaking friends or "Tolek" to Polish-speaking friends and family) was born in the hamlet of Moczul, located in Stolin district, Polesie province, Poland. He was the eldest of four children born to Michal and Julia (nee Leszkiewicz) Nieumierzycki.
From his earliest childhood, Anatol was destined to be a soldier and until 1939, just a few weeks before the war started, he attended a military school for youth in Lubawa where pupils trained to take up higher military positions after they graduate.
On February 10, 1940, Anatol and his family, along with much of the Polish population around them, were deported from the border area of Poland-Russia, where they lived, to mandatory resettlement in Russia. This relocation process, by the Russian Army, brought with it unimaginable and untold difficulties for those Poles who experienced it.
Anatol and his family lived for almost two years in a settlement, known as a kolkhoz, Kolbasz in the Tot’ma region of Wologda province in Russia. They were once again resettled to a kolkhoz in Kirov province in late 1941.
In 1942, Anatol left behind his family and traveled south on wagon bumpers or in empty freight boxcars towards the newly formed Polish Army headquarters near the Caspian Sea. He enlisted in the Polish forces on May 22, 1942 where he served in the Army Signal Corps until November 20, 1946, when he emigrated to Canada.
During his service he traveled with the Polish Army through Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, and Italy. He often recalled, with respect and reverence, his role, and the sacrifice of his fellow Poles, in the Battle of Monte Cassino where almost 55,000 Allied casualties occurred. Unknown to him at the time, this battle was to become the turning point for a rich life he was about to embark upon in Canada.
He immigrated to Canada November 24, 1946 under a farming apprenticeship program offered to Allied soldiers by the Canadian Government. He successfully completed this apprenticeship program leaving the Burns Ranch (now part of Fish Creek Provincial Park) in August 1949.
Shortly after, he started his apprenticeship and career as electrician which continued until his retirement in 1985 from Electrical Contracting and Machinery (EC&M). He was a lifelong union member of IBEW, wearing proudly his long service pin until the day he died.
On November 11, 1950, Anatol married Helena Swiatek in Calgary. The marriage lasted for more than 66 years. They raised two sons, Ted and Stan. Anatol sponsored his brother Marian (Helena) along with daughters Grazyna and Danusia and helped them to immigrate to Canada to experience the wonderful opportunities that he had discovered.
Anatol became a Canadian citizen in 1956. To the country that took him in, he gave back in so many ways that defy a proper accounting. When he was involved, things got done. Not only did they get done but they got done right and, in some instances, lasted for decades.
To understand that this is not an exaggeration, one must first understand the man. Anatol was creative, patient, skilled, innovative, loyal, stubborn, honest, and charismatic. He understood the benefits of long term commitment. He saw potential in things that, to most, defied conventional reasoning.
Projects were always underway at home. His first "new" car was a 1954 Buick Special that had experienced extensive fire damage to the engine compartment. He bought the car for a small amount and proceeded to rebuild it entirely in his garage. When done, he owned a virtually new car that he drove for years.
The same can be said for his motor home that was an abused and tired commercial bus that, at one point, ran from Winnipeg to Churchill, Manitoba on mostly gravel roads. He didn't just gut the inside, but stripped away anything unsightly right down to the frame.
He rebuilt the bus into a luxe motor home complete with "new" engine, drive-train, electrical system, aluminum sheeting attached to the frame by hundreds, if not thousands, of rivets placed one at a time. The interior was a marvel of leather tuck-and-roll upholstery, with all the mod-cons that campers now take for granted in modern motor homes. All installed from re-purposed or custom made parts and materials. There was an on board power plant, septic and fresh water systems all built patiently, creatively and lovingly by Anatol himself.
The motor home became a gateway, as he aged, to the wonderful world of fishing. He became an ardent fisherman for several years until his fishing buddy died unexpectedly. After he lost his close friend, fishing was no longer inviting and he left it behind in pursuit of other activities. This was a rare time in Dad's life where pursuit of leisure outweighed commitment of service to others.
There didn't seem to be a project or undertaking that was beyond Anatol's capability. From the custom-built double-car garage that was a bit wider and a bit deeper to accommodate work-benches and storage on two walls, to the concrete patio that rivaled in size the adjacent two car garage complete with a 10 meter tall ham radio tower, to the fence along the back alley with steel uprights and concrete retaining wall that still stands more than 50 years after it was built, to the walk-in greenhouse where Mom grew her humongous prize winning tomatoes, to the utterly huge pie-shaped backyard with seemingly endless grass to cut. All this, and much more conceived, planned, and built by Anatol in his spare time.
His trade as an electrician brought him satisfaction in creative and practical aspects, an above average wage to live comfortably while pursuing his outside interests, and a reputation as a quality-driven, reliable, dependable solver of problems. His work ethic was so coveted and so renowned that EC&M customers called asking only for Tony.
He had the opportunity to work endless over-time hours in his trade but chose, instead, moderation and balance so that he could work on his home projects and dedicate himself to profound service to Calgary's Polish community. Mom was Dad's gatekeeper for years answering the phone when EC&M called with the standard "Tony's not home".
The Polish Canadian Association (PCA) in Calgary was Anatol's longest commitment in terms of accomplishments and positions held. The earliest document showed him as Director in 1952. Over the next approximately 50 years he was Director, President, First Vice President, and Treasurer. In some instances, he assumed the same position more than once. His tenure as PCA President was long by today's standards indicating his well-honed leadership abilities and his desire to contribute his talents.
A skilled orator, Anatol loved to debate. To him, the answer was not always the answer as there were always other possibilities to consider. In the end, however, the result was almost always worth the debate. He endeared himself to many with his ability to see the big picture while understanding the complexities of the details.
One such example, saw him co-author PCA's bylaws in 1996 that stayed in effect until they were superseded in 2016. He guided capably PCA, the organization that he so loved, and became a mentor to many others who, today, carry on his tradition of service to others.
With all his accomplishments, Anatol was a humble man. His wants and needs were simple but he understood the staying power of quality. Generous to a fault with his time, his talents and his money, Anatol understood better than most that giving was every bit as important as receiving. So many others in Calgary's Polish community found their lives better as a result of his actions and generosity.
In addition to PCA and IBEW, Anatol was a long standing and active member of the Polish Combatants Association in Calgary ( SPK), the Polish church in Calgary, and the Polish Seniors Club.
Anatol did not start any project or undertaking with the intention for reward or recognition. He was always purpose driven. Yet, as with anyone who stands out from the mainstream, awards, recognition, accolades and admiration, after a while, accrued to him, at times from unexpected sources.
His office at home has many awards he received for his contributions to the Polish community. Some of the more notable awards are Gold Badge of Service (Zlota Oznaka) from the Canadian Polish Congress, Medal Pro Patria from the Republic of Poland , Gold Medal of the Polish Military from the Republic of Poland, Joint decoration by Poland and Britain for his participation in the Battle of Monte Cassino, Siberian’s Exile Cross from the Republic of Poland and Certificates of Achievement and Acknowledgment from Pope John Paul II, the Queen of England, the Prime Minister of Canada and the Premier of Alberta for his 50 and 60 year anniversaries of marriage to Mom.
Anatol is survived by wife Helen; sons Stan and Ted; sister Boguslawa (Bogusia) Statkiewicz (Poland); nieces Grazyna Rurka (Brian), Danusia Nieumierzycki and her daughter Monika Tomczak of Calgary; as well as extensive family in Poland. He was predeceased by brothers Marian and Kazimierz Nieumierzycki.
The Nieumierzycki family wishes to thank the women and men of Foothills Medical Centre Units 61, 64 and 71 as well as Dr. Michael Christie, Dr. Natalee Bessette, Dr. Yolanda Kao and other specialists and support staff at FMC for their devoted attention to our father and husband during his illness. All their efforts were above and beyond and are very much appreciated.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated by Reverend Jan Michalski, S.Ch. at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, 2111 Uxbridge Dr. NW, Calgary, AB on Tuesday, July 25, 2017 at 11 :00 a.m., with entombment to immediately follow at Queen's Park Mausoleum, 3219 - 4 Street NW, Calgary.
Flowers are gratefully declined. Memorial donations, if desired, may be made directly to the charity or cause of the individual's choosing. Expressions of sympathy may be forwarded to the family (in English or in Polish) via the website www.fostersgardenchapel.ca.
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