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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3 learn of the death of Leszek S. "Les" Kuczynski, who passed
4 away on August 19, 2008; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Leszek Kuczynski was a 1965 graduate of Gordon
6 Tech High School, where he served as Sports Editor of the "Ram
7 Page" during his senior year; he earned his bachelor's degree
8 in Political Science in 1969 from the College of St. Thomas in
9 St. Paul, Minnesota, his Juris Doctor degree in 1972 from the
10 University of Minnesota Law School in Minneapolis, Minnesota,
11 and his Master's in Business Administration degree in January
12 of 1982 from the Keller Graduate School of Management in
13 Chicago; and
 
14     WHEREAS, In 1982, Leszek Kuczynski showed his leadership
15 skills when elected President of the Chicago Intercollegiate
16 Council; in October of 1985, the late Aloysius A. Mazewski
17 hired Mr. Kuczynski as General Counsel to the Polish National
18 Alliance of the United States; as General Counsel, his position
19 included responsibilities for the PNA-owned AM radio station,
20 the Polish Language Daily newspaper, labor-management
21 negotiations with unions, and the opening of the PNA Legal Aid
22 Office for Polish immigrants; he served the organization for
23 nearly 23 years and had absolute faith in the programs and

 

 

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1 agenda advanced by President Frank J. Spula, believing them to
2 be models to be honored and followed to assure the future
3 success and growth of the Polish National Alliance; and
 
4     WHEREAS, In 1991, Leszek Kuczynski became the National
5 Executive Director of the Polish American Congress and the
6 Polish American Congress Charitable Foundation; as National
7 Executive Director, he was instrumental in organizing lobbying
8 efforts on behalf of Poland for entry into NATO from 1993 to
9 1998; he led eleven staffers of the United States Senate and
10 House of Representatives on a fact-finding trip to Warsaw in
11 February of 1997 to research the feasibility of NATO
12 enlargement; he participated in creating a claims program in
13 the U.S. on behalf of the Swiss Fund for the Needy Victims of
14 the Holocaust from 1999 to 2001; and, since 1991, coordinated
15 aid efforts in excess of $80 million in medical supplies and
16 equipment to hospitals, orphanages, and rehabilitation centers
17 in Poland; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Leszek Kuczynski held many appointments and
19 elective offices concerning world affairs; he was a participant
20 in the German Slave/Forced Labor Compensation Program Plenary
21 Sessions from 1998 to 2000; he was appointed to the
22 International Organization for Migration Steering Committee of
23 Victims Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, serving from
24 2001 to 2005; he was appointed to the Appeals Panel of the IOM

 

 

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1 in 2006 to review claims for slave/forced labor filed under the
2 German Forced Labor Compensation Program and Personal Injury
3 Claims; he was a member of the National Advisory Committee of
4 the American Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing and
5 Information Center from 2002 to 2008; in 2002, he was elected
6 President of the Council of World Polonia, which represents
7 Polish organizations established in 38 countries on five
8 continents; he was appointed by the President of the Polish
9 Senate (Parliament) to the Consultative Committee for
10 Relations with Polonia; from 2002 to 2005, he was elected and
11 served as a member of the Mary Seat of Wisdom School Board in
12 Park Ridge; in 2004, he was a founding Board Member of the
13 Polish American Chamber of Commerce; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Leszek Kuczynski was the recipient of national and
15 international recognition as a result of his untiring efforts
16 and dedication to the principles of justice and equality; on
17 November 11, 1997, he was awarded the Officer's Cross - Order
18 of Merit from the Polish Consul in Chicago for his service to
19 Poland; in March of 2001, he was selected Citizen of the Year
20 by the Am-Pol Eagle in Buffalo, New York; in 2003, he received
21 the Civic Award from the Polish American Historical
22 Association; on November 10, 2006, he was presented the
23 Humanitarian Award by the Polish American Congress' Illinois
24 Division; on February 12, 2007, he received the Cross of
25 Officer of the Order for Merits to Lithuania from the President

 

 

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1 of the Republic of Lithuania, His Excellency and Mrs. Valdas
2 Adamkus; on May 12, 2007, he was presented the Ellis Island
3 Medal of Honor by the National Ethnic Coalition of
4 Organizations (NECO) in the Great Hall of Ellis Island in New
5 York in recognition to his outstanding contributions to the
6 nation; in May of 2008, he was named the World's Greatest
7 Northridge Prep Sports Fan by the Northridge Prep 8th Grade
8 Boys baseball team; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Leszek Kuczynski enjoyed reading, gardening, and
10 photography; he was a natural athlete who participated and had
11 an astounding knowledge of all sports; he was an avid White Sox
12 fan his entire life, enjoying the 1959 World Series with his
13 hidden transistor radio while in school; of all the accolades
14 and recognition he rightfully earned and deserved, however, no
15 role was more important or had a greater impact in Mr.
16 Kuczynski's life than the role of father to his only beloved
17 child, Andrew; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Leszek Kuczynski was preceded in death by his
19 parents, Lucjan Kuczynski and Maria (Szurminska) Kuczynski;
20 and
 
21     WHEREAS, Leszek Kuczynski will be greatly mourned by his
22 adoring bride of 22 years, Alice "Ala" D. (Borzym) Kuczynski;
23 his dearest loving son, Andrew Lucas Kuczynski; his first

 

 

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1 cousins, Ewa (Tomek) Heyduk and their daughters, Maja and
2 Maggie; his second cousins, Krystyna (Stefan) Cieslak and their
3 children and grandchildren; his beloved cousins, Maryla
4 Bialasiewicz and Lidka and Beata Dobroch; his Godchildren, Anna
5 Bobel, Natalia Borzym, and Alexander Borzym; his friend, Mark
6 J. Bachta; his dearest brother-in-law, Leon (Rosemary) Borzym;
7 his best friend, Christine M. Kruczek, his kind neighbors,
8 Randy and Reggie Reither; his good friends, Christine and Les
9 Wozniak; and his many other relatives in the United States,
10 Canada, and Poland; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Leszek Kuczynski will be remembered by all who
12 knew and loved him as a gentle and righteous man whose wisdom,
13 counsel, and guidance was sought by all who met him; therefore,
14 be it
 
15     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
16 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
17 his family and friends, the passing of Leszek S. "Les"
18 Kuczynski; and be it further
 
19     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20 presented to the family of Leszek S. "Les" Kuczynski as an
21 expression of our sympathy.