– He was not only a scholar, but also a true friend. His legacy will live on in the people with whom he worked and whom he shaped over the years – it was with these words that representatives of Lublin’s universities, local authorities and his loved ones paid tribute to the late Rector of WSEI University, Prof. Marek Opielak. On Thursday, 19 March, we accompanied the Rector on his final journey.
- The Professor was a highly regarded and distinguished academic who trained many engineers. For over 75 years of his life, he found fulfilment as a scientist, as evidenced by his body of work: 250 academic publications and 12 patents. His commitment, leadership of the university and contribution to its development are also significant. His memory will remain forever etched in the minds of Lublin’s academic community - wrote the Metropolitan of Lublin, Archbishop Stanisław Budzik, in a letter to those attending the funeral.
The Orthodox Christian Archbishop of Lublin and Chełm, Abel, also delivered a farewell address, recalling that Professor Marek Opielak was a Knight of the Order of Saint Mary Magdalene, Equal to the Apostles – the highest honour awarded by the Orthodox Church in Poland: - Today we bid farewell to a man who, in his earthly life, was full of enthusiasm, radiating kindness towards others, open to human interaction, and who made a great contribution to the work of fostering practical ecumenism.
MEP Krzysztof Hetman remembered Prof. Marek Opielak as a man with a tremendous zest for life: -We bid farewell to a man whose academic legacy will live on for a very long time in the hundreds of publications he has left behind. But it will also live on in people, in all those generations of young people to whom he passed on his knowledge, experience, passions and values – honesty, respect for science, knowledge and work, and respect for other people - recalled the MEP
Acting Rector of WSEI University PhD Mariusz Paździor, Professor at WSEI University, addressing those attending the memorial service, emphasised that death always comes too soon, never at the right time: - On behalf of the academic community of WSEI University, I bid farewell today to Prof. Marek Opielak with a sense of immense loss. For 20 years, the professor was a colleague, and for the last three years, the Rector of our University. He was a man of extraordinary kindness, great passion and courage, a charismatic rector and professor, respected by students and staff alike. A mentor who enjoyed unquestionable authority in the academic world. He will remain in our memory as a clear voice of reason, as well as an ambassador for high culture and quality education.
Prof. Zbigniew Pater, Rector of the Lublin University of Technology – the institution of which Prof. Marek Opielak had previously been Rector – also paid tribute to the deceased: Marek has left behind a great legacy; we will be reminded of him practically every day. He left behind pupils, students, research, and new buildings which we now use. The memory of him will endure for as long as the Lublin University of Technology exists.
The Mayor of Lublin, PhD Krzysztof Żuk, spoke in turn about Professor Opielak’s contributions to Lublin’s international academic community: - Professor Marek Opielak has left an indelible mark on the history of science and public life in Lublin. If the strength of this city stems from its collaboration with universities and business, then Professor Marek Opielak, as Rector, was a co-creator of this relationship; he was a partner to the local government and built the academic potential of Lublin.
The funeral service at the Garrison Church in Lublin was presided over by Rev. Dr Adam Raczkowski, Professor at the WSEI University. After the Mass, the funeral procession proceeded to the cemetery on Lipowa Street, where the urn containing the ashes of the late Rector was laid to rest.
The late Prof. Marek Opielak passed away on 8 March this year. His sudden passing is a painful loss for our entire academic community.
He will forever remain in our memory as a man devoted not only to scholarship, but also to his fellow human beings