LESNIAK, Jerzy Leslaw "Lesiu" - Jerzy Leslaw "Lesiu" Lesniak was born in Rzeszow, Poland, and passed away in Toronto on January 18, 2023, at the age of 90, after a brief illness.
At 17, Jerzy joined the Polish navy and spent two years mapping the Baltic coast as a surveyor.
At 19, he made his way to Canada from Sweden and settled in Toronto.
He met and later married the love of his life, Irena, in 1963. Five years later, they welcomed their first daughter, Alicia; and later, their daughter, Agata "Aggie." His daughters will always remember what a funny, loving and devoted father he was.
Later, he would welcome his son-in-law, Jay, into the Lesniak family as his "only son." In his spare time, Jerzy loved to be at the cottage that he had built or in his basement workshop, always building or fixing something. He was also an avid reader of historical non-fiction, politics and economics. Jerzy loved jazz and classical music, especially piano concertos by Chopin.
Visitation will take place on Thursday, January 26, 2023, from 4 to 8 p.m. in the Grenadier Room at Lynett Funeral Home, 3299 Dundas St. W. A Funeral Mass will be held in English and Polish at St. Casimir's Church, 156 Roncesvalles Ave., Friday, January 27, 2023, at 11 a.m., refreshments to follow.
The family would like to thank his neighbours in the Roncey neighbourhood, as well as staff at Copernicus Lodge for trying their best to keep their Tata out of mischief.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Copernicus Lodge Foundation or St. Joseph's Health Centre, as staff at both institutions took such compassionate care of Jerzy in his final years.
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