Kiepura, Wladyslaw
OBITUARY
FLORIDA -- Wladyslaw (Ladis) Kiepura - Opera singer, born March 20, 1904 in Sosnowiec, Poland, died June 11, 1998 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.A life that was intensely involved with nearly every important event of the 20th Century from that of a seven times wounded teenage fighter for Polish freedom against German and Bolshevik forces during World War I, to using his unlimited access as a European opera star to gain intelligence against Nazi Germany. Encouraged to pursue his singing talent as a dramatic tenor by his brother, the world famous tenor Jan Kiepura, he sang at all the premier opera houses throughout Europe, the United States and South America, including LaScala, the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, Vienna Opera, Chicago Civic Opera, and Hamburg State Opera. It was at the peak of his career with the Hamburg State Opera in Germany and LaScala Opera in Milan, Italy that he was approached by the Polish Government to retain intelligence officers on his staff who could then access high German government officials. Their reports, largely unheeded, warned of an immensely powerful Nazi Germany bent on World domination. In 1939 with war imminent, and already having been questioned by the Gestapo, he left Germany for Italy and then to the United States at the onset of World War II. After coming to America, he briefed President Roosevelt and US Government officials and aided the war effort by tirelessly performing at numerous US government sponsored concerts, radio shows, including short-wave broadcasts to Europe chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt and Claire Booth Luce. In an era before antibiotics, health considerations then forced a partial retirement from singing and he was advised to seek a cure in "healthy" farm living. This turned into a two decade long profession in which he owned and operated several farms in New Jersey and New York, married and raised his family. While in his 60s, he "retired" again and joined his brother in real estate ventures in Toronto, Canada. Though his brother died in 1966, he continued for several years more before, once again, "retiring", this time to Fort Lauderdale where he purchased commercial real estate and embarked on a real estate, career, spanning two decades more. He is survived by his loving family, wife, Doris Kiepura of Ft. Lauderdale, son. Frank C. Kiepura of Loudonville, NY; daughter Dana W. Kiepura of Fort Lauderdale; grandson Frank C. Kiepura, Jr. of Mt. Vernon, NY and daughter-in-law Sandra C. Kiepura of Loudonville, NY.
From: The Post Eagle, Vol. 36, No. 34, August 26, 1998