Roman Olszewski, 86, a Polish expatriate who spent five years in a prisoner-of-war camp in Murnau, Germany, during World War II, died Sunday, June 11, from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. Mr. Olszewski was born in Russia and orphaned in 1918 when his parents were murdered in front of him during the Russian Revolution. Mr. Olszewski and his older brothers, Tadeusz and Jerzy, were sent to an orphanage for three years, until they were smuggled out. The three found an uncle in Warsaw, after a three-month train journey. Mr. Olszewski spent the next several years living with his uncle until entering a military school where he studied engineering. In 1939, he joined the war effort as a captain of artillery in the Polish army, assisting in efforts to launch counterattacks during bombings. His battalion was soon captured by the Germans and he spent the next five years in a prisoner-of-war camp, where Jerzy, was also sent. One of Mr. Olszewski’s most memorable moments came right at the war’s end. As he stood in front of a firing squad, he and his fellow prisoners were saved by Allied forces. “The trauma of the war and his childhood deeply affected him for the rest of his life,” said his daughter, Margaret. “Despite going through so much he still managed to have an open heart.” After studying mechanical design in Italy, he lived in London for nine years. Mr. Olszewski moved to Chicago in 1959. He married Jadwiga Camra, in 1963. The family moved to Lake Forest in 1979. Throughout his life, Mr. Olszewski practiced yoga, meditated and often fasted. He also loved fencing and spoke six languages. Mr. Olszewski was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1992; he spent the last four years at North Chicago VA Medical Center. In addition to his daughter, Mr. Olszewski is survived by his wife. Mass will be said at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Church of St. Mary, 175 E. Illinois Rd., Lake Forest.
