Stanley Bednarski

Stanley Bednarski passed away on Friday, September 18, 2026, at age 90.

He weathered some of the worst times in the 20th century. His young life in Poland was uprooted during WWII when he and much of his family were taken to a Siberian Soviet forced labour camp. When they arrived they were told: you are here, you will work, and you will die here. Fortunately, he went on to live a rich life instead.

Later in the war, he was transported out of the Soviet Union and crossed the Caspian Sea to Iran, where his mother died shortly after arriving. Eventually he and his sister Jozefa found refuge in a Polish camp north of Goa in India. In 1947 they travelled to England and then eventually to Canada.

He graduated in the very first Electrical Engineering class at the University of Ottawa. His career took him to Northern Electric, then to the US at Fairchild Semiconductor and DEC. Though he was not a prideful man, he was pleased that he was part of both the semiconductor and computer revolutions of the 20th century.

Stanley deeply loved all of his siblings. He is predeceased by his sisters Jozefa and Frania, and is survived by his sister Antonina.

When his sister Jozefa’s husband died, Stanley moved from Tucson to Toronto to support her. He had an especially strong bond with Jozefa, given that they had survived many unfathomable challenges together as children.

He was encouraging, supportive of, and interested in the lives of his nieces (Teresa and Maria Yolanta) and nephews (Chris, Mark, Ted, Stan, Peter and Rich) and their families.

Stanley was an avid reader, especially of history. He was a very practical, organized and logical man and believed in keeping things simple where possible. He was kind and thoughtful. He was a good listener. He had firm opinions, but was open to other points of view. He was well-loved and well-liked. Much was learned just by observing how he did things. 

A bright light in our lives has gone out, but we will forever cherish the afterglow.