Tadeusz Edmund Rurak
Mechanical designer, paralegal, Polish and local community leader
Born Jan. 3, 1913, Lowell (MA), U.S.; son of Jan and Maria (Wozniak); married Wanda (Rodziewicz); children: Zbigniew, Tadeusz.
Career: designer, Raytheon Company, 1956-78, senior aide paralegal, Merrimack Valley Legal Services, 1978-84, Lowell; senator, Silver Haired Legislature, Boston (MA), 1980; Retired.
Author: numerous articles in Polish and American journals and newspapers on Polish history.
Member of: in Lowell - chairman, Committee for Polish Invalids, 1950, general chairman, 350 Anniversary of Jamestown, 1958, secretary, since 1956, Polish Army Veterans Association - Stowarzyszenie Weteranow Armii Polskiej (S.W.A.P.) (commander, 1952-54, vice commander, 1954-56), committees chairman, Polish National Home, and Historic Preservation Advisory Board of Lowell.
Honors: Gold Cross of Merit, Silver Cross of Merit with Swords, Cross of Valor, Monte Cassino Cross, Polish Government in Exile, London (United Kingdom); Certificates of Recognition, E. King, Governor of Massachusetts, 1980, G. Keverian, speaker of Massachusetts House of Representatives, and Chet Atkins, U.S. congressman, 1986; Certificates of Appreciation, Merrimack Valley Legal Services, 1984, and M. Dukakis, Governor of Massachusetts, 1986.
Served with: Polish Armed Forces in the West, 2nd Corps, 15 and 25 Lancers Regiments, captain, 1943-45; promoted to major, 1990.
Languages: English, Polish, German, Russian.
Hobbies: reading, writing, gardening.
Home: 200 West 6th Street, Lowell, MA 01850.
From: "Who's Who in Polish America" 1st Edition 1996-1997, Boleslaw Wierzbianski editor; Bicentennial Publishing Corporation, New York, NY, 1996.