Dr. Wielsaw E. Walczak

Friday, December 4, 2009

Dr. Wieslaw E. Walczak, MD, PhD, 62, of Bedford, died Nov. 21, 2009, on Mount Washington from unexplained injuries to his head and body sustained while hiking. Dr. Walczak was found in the morning on Nov. 22 at Sargent’s Purchase after his wife’s desperate attempt to send rescue for him after he failed to call her between 4 and 5 p.m. on Nov. 21 to be picked up at Pinkham Notch.

Dr. Walczak was born March 9, 1947, in Poland. He was the son of Eugeniusz and Stefania (Suchanska) Walczak.

Dr. Walczak graduated from Pomeranian Academy of Medicine in Szczecin, Poland, with the degree of doctor in medicine (MD) in 1971. He received a PhD in medicine in 1979. Dr. Walczak conducted research in non-invasive cardiology in Poland and Germany. He was teaching in medical schools in Poland and Germany as well as practicing medicine in both countries. He published and presented research papers at different scientific congresses. In 1980 his scientific research was distinguished and published in Paris as one of 30 research papers in non–invasive cardiology from the world.

Dr. Walczak practiced medicine and taught medical students for nine years in Poland at Pomeranian Academy of Medicine in Szczecin, Poland. He left Poland with his wife in 1980 after he was denied a chance to present his research papers in Paris. He lived one year in Sweden. In 1981 he moved to Germany, where after a short study of German he received a teaching appointment at the Medical School in Germany, where he practiced medicine and taught medical students for five years.

In 1986 Dr. Walczak received permanent residency in the United States and left Germany. He had been a resident and a citizen of his beloved United States of America for the past 23 years. He passed the demanding medical examination for foreign graduates, finished his internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Connecticut in Farmington, Conn., and became board certified in internal medicine in 1995.

Dr. Walczak had lived with his wife and son in Bedford since 1994. Also, Dr. Walczak cared for all the priests at Bishop Paterson Residence for 15 years. For the last 15 years, Dr. Walczak practiced medicine in New Hampshire. He was one of the first doctors associated with the Elliot Physician Network in Manchester, where he worked until his untimely death.

Dr. Walczak loved New Hampshire’s natural beauty, especially the White Mountains. He loved passionately Mount Washington, and hiked this mountain many times. Dr. Walczak highly respected Mount Washington and its ragged terrain. Majestic Mount Washington was Dr. Walczak’s friend, where he looked at the stars and the moon on his full moon hike, listened to the wind, enjoyed the Alpine Garden, studied the rocks, which he many times brought home, and thought of his loved ones waiting for him at Pinkham Notch, where he always arrived on time.

Dr. Walczak was a very accomplished hiker. He hiked all the 4,000-footers of New England, and he hiked in other parts of the world. Also, Dr. Walczak hiked the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, which he accomplished in one day.

Dr. Walczak spoke a few foreign languages, loved to study stars and the universe, loved to read, loved to play computer games, listened to different kind of music – especially jazz – loved to dance, loved to run every day, loved to travel, but above all he loved to hike New Hampshire’s hills while expressing special admiration and respect for majestic Mount Washington.

One of Dr. Walczak’s greatest passions and loves was his medical profession and he always tried to improve the art of solving the most mysterious medical problems, along with his unmatchable ability to heal. The greatest love of all, along with his medical profession, was his son and wife, who gladly shared him with his beloved patients. Dr. Walczak loved all his patients and tirelessly was looking to help them to better their lives as well as prolong them. His heart was heavy when he needed to say farewell to any of them.

Dr. Walczak’s wife of 31 years, Ewa (Robakowska)Walczak; a son, Michael, and his wife, Wai, are his beloved family. The other members of Dr. Walczak’s family and his friends are in deep sorrow after Dr. Walczak’s untimely death.

SERVICES: There are no calling hours. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Cathedral, corner of Pine and Lowell streets, Manchester. Committal prayers will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery, 448 Donald St., Bedford.

Donations may be made to the Mary & John Elliot Charitable Foundation, 4 Elliot Way, Suite 301, Manchester, NH 03103.

To leave a message of condolence, visit www.elliothospital.org, or www.WWALCZAK.COM, or www.lambertfuneralhome.com.