Tadeusz Ted Wallag, 84, of Vero Beach, FL passed September 11, 2010. Born in Poland he was a resident of West Bloomfield, Michigan until his relocation to Florida.
After his father was murdered in the Katyn Forest massacre, he along with his mother, 2 brothers and sister were deported to Siberia where his mother died. Ted and his siblings were released from the Soviet Labor Camp to serve under General Anders in the 2nd Polish Corps in the Middle East. Ted was educated in England and arrived in the United States in 1951.
Ted was a career chemical engineer with The Ford Motor Company Body Engineering in Dearborn, Michigan where he headed the materials lab responsible for textiles and plastics. He was fiercely proud of his work and mentored those around him to always better themselves.
He retired in 1984 and set about to extensively travel the USA, Europe and South America. His journeys covered tens of thousands of miles and each had a story to go with the locale.
Ted was presented The Orderem Zaslugi Pospolitej Polskiej the highest honor awarded by the President of Poland in recognition for his contribution to Polish causes internationally.
He was active in the Society of Automotive Engineers and the Polish American Cultural Center.
To those that knew him well or casually the one unanimous word used to describe him was gentleman.
Ted is survived by his children, Jan and Jim Pagano, Ted and Karen Wallag and Ursula Tucker and his beloved granddaughter Erika Pagano. He is also survived by his brother Eugene Wallag as well as nieces and nephews and many friends who loved and adored him.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Jeanette Guminski Wallag (mother of his children) and his second wife, J. Renata Dambska Wallag along with his brother Zbigniew Wallag and sister Jane Wallag Shields.
Ted always had a smile and kind word for all who met him. He loved life, his family and his granddaughter.
Friends and Family may gather at St. Colman Catholic Church, 32500 Middlebelt Rd., Farmington Hills, on Saturday September 18, 2010 at 9:30am for visitation until a time of remembrance at 10:45am, followed by a Memorial Mass at 11am.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to: The Kosciuszko Foundation, Inc. 15 East 65th Street, New York, NY 10065 USA (www.theKF.org)
Arrangements are under the direction of Cox-Gifford-Seawinds Funeral Home and Crematory, Vero Beach, Florida. Condolences may be sent through www.seawindsfh.com/obit.php