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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
ALEXANDRA POGORZELSKI, IN MEMORIAM
WHEREAS, Aleksandra Pogorzelski (Modelska) passed on at the age of 68 on Thursday, March 30th, 2023; and
WHEREAS, Aleksandra was the second child of Jerzy Modelski and Maria Wanda Miłopolska. Her mother Maria Wanda created an environment of love, a value Aleksandra carried on with her own children. She was the daughter of a Holocaust survivor who, with his brothers, were among the earliest prisoners of the German concentration camp in Auschwitz, Aleksandra shared her father’s tenacity and resolve. Her parents raised Aleksandra and her siblings in Gdynia, Poland, a modernist metropolis nestled on the Baltic Sea; and
WHEREAS, she pursued a Master’s Degree in English from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, the city her father was born. After completing her Master’s, she came to the United States; and
WHEREAS, she is survived by her loving husband Józef. While visiting her uncle in the United States in 1978, her intent was to only stay for the summer. Shortly after arriving to Chicago she ended up meeting her future husband Józef, who became the love of her life and who she built a beautiful life together; and
WHEREAS, the two were joined in holy matrimony at Saint Hyacinth Basilica on November 11th, a date they chose because it was the date Poland briefly regained its independence in 1918; and
WHEREAS, she is survived by her sons Daniel, Christopher (Angie), Phillip (Amber), and daughter Paulina (Whitney). Aleksandra was always full of laughter and instilled in her children the importance of thinking outside the box; and
WHEREAS, she was the loving sister to brother Marek (Maryla) and sister Emilia; and
WHEREAS, she cherished her grandchildren Amelia and Milo, goddaughter Magda, as well as godsons Peter and Martin; and
WHEREAS, she excelled in her career in the hospitality industry thanks to her attention to customer service and knack for human connection. She first worked at Senkowski’s Home Bakery in Chicago’s Polish Village, but quickly transitioned to being a waitress at one of the city’s most esteemed bygone Polish restaurants, the Orbit. She continued her hard work in the hospitality industry and enjoyed the connection with people that this career brought; and
WHEREAS, Aleksandra and Józef did their best to raise their children with the utmost appreciation of their heritage and Aleksandra was always supportive of her husband’s civic activism; and
WHEREAS, she enjoyed nature and cherished the unseen energy which connects us all, especially under the cover of trees or flowers in her backyard; and
WHEREAS, Aleksandra will be deeply missed by many; and
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Cook County Board of Commissioners, offer our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Aleksandra Pogorzelski, who brought light and love to all those around her; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the family members of Aleksandra Pogorzelski.
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