A tribute to Theodore Kowalski my Godfather

Pan Kowalski a gentle considerate man

Mister Kowalski (or Pan Kowalski) to this day it feels wrong to call him by his first name Theo. I wanted to ensure he was not forgotten although I didn't really know that much about his early history.

Like my father he was displaced left here after the war. He would never talk about the war.

He refused to speak about it, not even wanting to keep his war medals. Only once did he mention about being forced to march barefoot in Siberia. I guess he escaped and joined the Polish troops in Africa?

He worked at Remploy and witness at mum and dads wedding. He was a friend of my dad for a long time.

Always very smartly dressed with a cigarette in his hand but not in his fingers oh no,but one of those mouth piece things for smoking (very 1930's Hollywood) with a small well trimmed mustache again very Clarke Gable style.

Theo was a considerate man. He took his job as my Godfather very seriously, never forgot my birthdays and always came to our parties and I think enjoyed his time with us.

Sometimes I feel like I was everyone's surrogate son? The ones who never found a partner or started a family. I was glad he was my Godfather.

He had a life long friend Pani Minko (I also cant bring myself to just call her first name, Kazimiera). They must have been together a long time. Here they are in the photo below (second and third from the left in front of the bus). Absolutely lovely people.

I remember he gave me a Parker Rolled Gold pen on my 6th Birthday (still have it) a medal of our Lady of Lourdes after he went there in the 80's, (I carry with me every day) and £1000 towards a deposit on my first house in 1990. (Its actually taken me 40 mins to write this short paragraph as I can keep stopping as its too upsetting) .

During the late 80's/maybe 1990 they decided to move to North Wales, Penhros which is a converted old army base used as a Polish nursing home.

I hired a van and drove them both there with their belongings. When we arrived, they had to take a small side cabinet back as it wouldn't fit in the room (personally I just thought they were being mean treating these people like that) but I took it back home. Its still here in our hallway and has moved with me from house to house.

A final example of his nature, he even paid for all his funeral costs and arrangements years before so he would not burden anyone with them.

I used to go a few times a year to visit them although its near Absersoch which is a 2.5 hour trip from my house' I wish he stayed on my street where he was before?

Sadly Pani Minko passed away in 1992 and Theo in 1999.

Thankfully they are still together buried side by side.

I go a few times a year to put some flowers on there and a candle, because they have nobody else to do that.

Thanks for everything Theo.