DWORAKOWSKI, Olaf Adam

The White Mountain Independent, Show Low, Arizona ~ 01/09/2015 Olaf Adam Dworakowski, 94, died in the early morning hours Dec. 24, 2014, from congestive heart failure. He was born Sept. 26, 1920, to Wlodzimierz and Halina Dworakowski in Ostrow Wielkopolski, Poland. In 1939, he fought in the Polish Army against the Germans in World War II but was captured and taken to prison camp in Germany. He escaped under gunfire to France but was captured again by the Germans and returned to prison camp. He escaped a second time to France, but was captured by Spanish forces on the border of France and Spain and taken to prison camp in Spain. When prisoners were released there, he fought in the Polish Navy now located in Great Britain against the Germans until the end of WWII. He stayed in London, England, and attended the University of London School of Economics. When his sister and her husband emigrated from England to the United States, he joined them in Phoenix in 1951. Polish forces were honored by the U.S. for their contribution to WWII and he was recognized as a POW veteran. He married Thora Andersen and they had one daughter, Maria. He became a banker with the First National Bank of Arizona in Phoenix and a naturalized U.S. citizen. They moved to Lakeside in 1960 and built Moonridge Lodge. He was a great hunter and fisherman and became a guide to the many lodge guests who visited the White Mountains. He joined the Rotary Club and became a member of the White Mountain Sheriff’s Posse. He opened Cinnabar Realty as a real estate broker and remained in the White Mountains for more than 50 years. He read extensively about U.S. history and was a supporter of the Wilderness Act and the work of Aldo Leopold. He was a naturalist and contributed to academic research of the wild mushroom in local forest habitats. He followed very closely the many political and geographical changes in the White Mountains. Being a member of the White Mountain Sheriff’s Posse, scouting to prepare for a hunt and hunting wild game every season were his passions. He lost his sight in later years, but he studied techniques for the blind and lived as independently as he could. His true home was the forest and even when he completely lost his sight, he knew by heart how to guide others through the back forest roads of the White Mountains. He learned to survive. He never gave up. He was a hero to those who knew him. He was much loved and will be greatly missed by his family and friends. He was preceded in death by his sisters, Dagmara Parys and Eva Jarosz. He is survived by his daughter, Maria; brother Jerzy Dworakowski in Spain; and many nieces and nephews in the U.S. and Poland; and many friends. A graveside funeral service will be held in Show Low in the spring. For information from the family, contact Mark Sterling with the White Mountain Sheriff’s Posse at 928-521-2955. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Olaf’s name to the White Mountain Sheriff’s Posse, P.O. Box 830, Pinetop, AZ 85935, to be used in their work to assist those in need.