Obituary of KAZIMIERZ (KAZ) LESZCZYNSKI

KAZIMIERZ (KAZ) LESZCZYNSKI

July 1, 1957 – February 24, 2021

Along with a beautiful evening sunset, Kazimierz (Kaz) Leszczynski passed away peacefully on February 24, 2021, with his family by his side. He is our warrior, our hero, and we're so proud of him.

Kaz is survived by his wife Krystyna, daughter Cindy and son-in-law Rick, mother Krystyna, sister Yolanta and niece Hannah, brother Stefan (Krystyna) and many nieces and nephews in Poland.

Kaz was born on July 1, 1957 in Lagiewniki, Poland. He immigrated with his family to Canada in 1974 and settled in Winnipeg. Kaz found work soon after at Biggar Industries and Versatile. Since 1986, he was a dedicated long-term employee of Magellan Aerospace (formerly Bristol Aerospace) and took so much pride in his job.

Kaz and Krystyna happily married in 1977 and enjoyed many road trips with Cindy to Radium, B.C., and Chicago in the family van. Travel was always a cherished part of Kaz's life and, thanks to his job, he was fortunate enough to visit many incredible places around the world, with Israel and South Korea being highlights. He had a passion for working on cars in the garage and going to "the park" with his buddy Stavros. He loved being outdoors, especially camping at Hecla, golfing, and fishing with Zdzisek and Stavros. Kaz was an enthusiastic Jets fan and a very vocal supporter during the games, taking on the role of coach from the comfort of his couch. Kaz's laugh was always the loudest in the room, and his steak was always the most garlicky. He truly treasured family gatherings with good food and cheer.

Kaz was a member of the Knights of Columbus Fathers A&J Kulawy Council 9790, and served as Grand Knight from 2011-2013. Thanks to his leadership, he was able to successfully recruit many new members.

Our family would like to thank the amazing team of doctors and nurses at St. Boniface Hospital and the I.H. Asper Institute for their exceptional care of Kaz over the past six months. Extra special thanks to Dr. Sidhu, Dr. Zieroth, Dr. Lother, Dr. Luqman, Dr. Ghorpade and team, Dr. Strumpher, Dr. Schaffer, Dr. Richards and Dr. Verrelli. Our sincere appreciation also goes out to the Heart Failure team, Shari, Sandy and Derek from the VAD (ventricular assist device) team, and all of the incredible nurses from Asper ICCS, namely John for his calming presence while we said goodbye to Kaz.

A private family service will be celebrated at Holy Ghost Parish, followed by interment at Holy Ghost Cemetery. Due to COVID-19, a livestream of the service will be available at www.holyghost.ca on March 3, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. Rosary will be recited at 9:30 a.m. before the mass. Perhaps we can all raise a glass together for Kaz this summer or when it's safe to do so.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Kaz's memory can be made online towards Cardiac Care at the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation at stbhf.ca/en/donate/

“A heartfelt thanks to all of the family, friends, neighbours, colleagues and Brother Knights for sending support, love, food, flowers, kind words, thoughts and prayers during this challenging time.”

We'll keep smiling for you, Papa Bear.