Boleslaw Biega
1922 - 2023
Condolences
Dear Mark, Annette and Eileen,
Our sincerest condolences to you and all the members of the Biega family on the passing of your beloved father Boleslaw Biega. Our Zaleski family will always remember "Uncle Bill" for the warm, jovial, adventurous and intelligent man he was. He led an amazing life, brave and courageous as a young Polish Home Army soldier in WWII, hardworking in his career as an electrical engineer, energetic in his travels and sailing trips, loyal and supportive to his friends, and devoted and loving to his family.
We are so grateful for the trips Bill and Lila made to southern California to visit our family and for the many phone calls, letters and emails over the years. Bill and Lila were always warm and welcoming whenever we visited them in Illinois and later in New Jersey.
Our father, Janusz Zaleski, Lila and Ciocia Hala's cousin, knew Bill since their days as Polish Resistance fighters in Warsaw during WWII. Both decorated veterans of the Polish Home Army and Battle for Warsaw (Aug. 1, 1944 - Oct. 2, 1944), Janusz and Bill shared a very special lifelong connection until our father passed away at the age of 95 in July 2018. Bill was crucial with his support of Janusz's 1952-1953 “Vagabundo” trip encircling South, Central and North America. With Janusz living in Venezuela at that time, Bill served as Janusz's point of contact in North America handling critical correspondence and banking matters for the trip. Uploaded to the photo section is a picture of Bill, Lila, Mark, Peter and Janusz with the 1951 Chevy Station Wagon, "Vagabundo," that was driven on the 65,000 mile journey.
Our mother, Margosia (Marge Zaleski), especially sends you and your family her deepest sympathies. Marge is now living in the San Francisco Bay Area, northern California, near her son Mark and daughter Mary. After escaping with her parents from Poland in 1946, Marge was just 9 years old when she first met Bill and Lila. They were all Polish refugees living under the Allied Displaced Persons Program in Germany waiting to immigrate to the United States. Bill was studying electrical engineering and Marge's father Konstanty Okon, was one of Bill's professors at a Polish Technical School in Esslingen, Germany. Later in the United States, in the 1950's, Marge enjoyed several happy get-togethers and camping trips with Bill and Lila, their children, and Marge's parents, Konstanty and Sophie. On June 25, 1960, Bill and Lila came to Janusz and Marge's wedding in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
The Biega and Zaleski families share great-great grandparents Henryk von Stoerl (1828 - 1896) and Helena Rodatus von Stoerl. We also share an inspiring story of family survival during WWII and immigration to the United States. Now we share a beautiful remembrance of Bill and Lila. We take great comfort in knowing Bill and Lila are reunited with loved ones in Heaven.
With sympathy, love and many fond memories,
Marge Zaleski, wife of Janusz Zaleski
The 4 Zaleski children and their spouses:
Mark Zaleski and his wife Vivian
Paul Zaleski and his wife Annika
Mary (Zaleski) Biggs and her husband Jonathan
Jane (Zaleski) Barber and her husband Todd
(Uncle Bill was godfather to both Mary and Jane. Lila and Hala were Mary and Jane’s godmothers, respectively.)
10 Zaleski grandchildren and 3 Zaleski great-grandchildren
The Zaleski Family is making a donation to the American Cancer Society in Bill's memory.
Dear Mark, Annette and Eileen,
I am so sorry for the loss of your wonderful father. How beautiful that he was able to live such a long and meaningful full life! 100 years on this earth! What a blessing! Grateful for the longstanding friendship Uncle Bill and my father shared - with visits earlier on and then letter writing and phone calls. I pray my father is enjoying giving your father a grand tour of heaven!
Uncle Bill was always so faithful to respond to our Christmas cards. I know you will miss him much as I miss my father, but I trust that faith in Jesus Christ grants us eternity with Him and with those who love Him!
Love and prayers,
Jane (Zaleski) Barber
A song "Lili and Pałąk" written by Warsaw Uprising Museum, sang by Organek. Translated into English by Kazia Sitarz in tribute to Alicja and Bolesław Biega
She gave me her soul, she gave me her body. I asked her for marry me
I got her whole.
And now, just to keep her in one piece, well
I have to keep an eye on her.
My boys won't tear her up here.
The boys are gone, may they rest.
Staszek and the others I don't know where they went
Nothing will tear our love apart
Nothing will tear our love apart
Unless a mine or a grenade
Who would want to wonder today
Life is here and time is short
Who knows what will happen tomorrow and today is our wedding
You are my Warsaw Lili Marlene
I hear your sing seducing me, my mermaid
Who will be with you this evening
And the night after dawn Lili Marlene
Lili Marlene
Nothing will tear our love apart
Nothing will tear our love apart
Nothing will tear our love apart
Nothing will tear our love apart
(Whispers) Platoon cadet Bolesław Biega, pseudonym Pałąk, is reporting, I am looking for Alicja Treutler, pseudonym Jarmuż
Nothing will tear our love apart
Nothing will tear our love apart
And here is a link to my history presentation about Alicja and Boleslaw's love and life.
https://www.canva.com/design/DAFkx_7j1NE/xriISpEOCkqSeuw4ywyMxQ/edit?utm_content=DAFkx_7j1NE&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton
My deepest condolences to the family. I hope you will find comfort in your time of sorrow.
Uncle was larger than life. His writing in Syrena have me such pride. It is amazing that he graced us for 100 years.
In loving memory of Mr Boleslaw Biega
Original version by Joanne Boyle, poem about The Queen Elizabeth
Words changed by me, to fit them to the life of Alicja and Boleslaw
May 18, 2023
Lili came to me today,
and said it was time to go.
I looked at her and smiled.
as I whispered that "I know”
I then turned and looked behind me,
and seen I was asleep.
All my Family were around me,
and I could hear them weep.
I gently touched each shoulder,
with Lili by my side.
Then I turned away and walked,
with My Angel guide.
Lili held my hand,
as she lead the way,
to a world where uprisings figthers
are angels every day.
We went again to this uprising chapel
Where we said yes to each other
I kissed her like on 13th August
We are now togehter again
Nothing will apart us anymore
We have eternity ahead of us
Dearest mrs. Eileen, mrs. Annette and mr. Mark...Please accept my deepest condolences. We don't each other personally, but I am very sorry for your loss and I am thinking of you today. Your parents are again together in Eternal Glory. A heaven has two wonderful polish angels.
My name is Kazia Sitarz and I am 17 years old. I am from Eastern Poland. In 2019 I had read a love story of Lili and Bill and they became my role models. When Lili died I was crying for all evening. In April 2023 I made a presentation on my history lesson about Lili and Bill's wedding and their love and life. And I decided if I ever have a daughter, I'll name her Alicja in Lili's honour. This year's spring was so special with me, because I was in touch with your Dad, who seen my presentation and was extremly touched. I was very honoured to meet him. On May, 24 I learned about his death. I was shocked and very, very sad. He is the best role model for teenagers. And I want to promise you that I will never let to foget about him and Lili in Poland. Your wondeful Mom and Dad are our national pride and treasure. Contacting with your Dad was a God's gift for me.
I am to tell you my deepest condolences once again. My warmest thoughts and prayers are with all Biegas.
Yours Sincerely,
Kazia Sitarz
Dear Eileen, Annette, and Mark(?),
I just learned that Bill died, from Facebook—the Town Crier of our day.
One hundred! Damn! What a grand old age, and what a grand life he led! Hoorah for him!
To you...I'm sorry for your loss, for I am sure you will miss him.
My experience with knowing Bill was brief. Primarily during my friendship with Eileen in junior high in Deerfield.
But the memories from that time are great and have been life long for me.
What can I say...sailing almost every weekend on Lake Michigan! What a gift!
Those sailing days eventually led me to have my own sailboat (17 foot) and many happy times sailing on Lake George in New York.
I thought of Eileen every time I hoisted the jib! That was the job Bill assigned us back in the day.
And what about that adventure to Door County!? A week sailing up the coast of Lake Michigan to Lake Superior.
I remember waking one early morning. We had spent the night out on the lake...drifting. The sky and the lake were the same soft pink. The air and water stitched perfectly together so that no end and no beginning could be found. Of course that became grossly contrasted by the biting flies and the horrific storm we later encountered. Six foot waves! But what an adventure! I am so glad to have had that experience and have shared the tale often with friends.
I wanted to share these warm memories with you because we never know the lasting effect someone has on us...and your Dad had a sweet influence on my life.
All the best to you.
With warm regards,
Linda Anderson