Emilia Mycielski

Emilia Mycielski (née Przezdziecka) passed away on March 3rd 2015 in Boulder. Emilia was born on September 14th, 1933 to Marcin Przeździecki and Cecylia Mańkowska in Poland. During WWII she and her parents survived an attack by Ukrainian nationalists but her brother was shot and killed, which deeply affected her later in life. She completed her master’s degree in Chemistry at the University of Wrocław and worked in the Polytechnic University. In 1955 she met the mathematician Jan Mycielski and they lived together ever since. In 1968 they left then-Communist Poland, immigrated to the United States and settled in Boulder. Emilia enjoyed the outdoors and was an avid hiker, swimmer and cross-country skier. One of her passions was art, and she painted landscapes using various techniques. In 1975, Emilia and Jan finalized the adoption of two toddlers, a Polish son (Mark), who came with Emilia’s mother, and an Indian daughter (Marysia). She devoted herself to her children and inculcated to them their Polish language and culture. Later in her life she took care of her ailing mother. In her 70’s she developed severe back pain, which eventually decreased her ability to walk. She became a very well-read person and was the soul of the household. She leaves her husband Jan Mycielski of Boulder, their son Mark of Boulder, and daughter Marysia and son-in-law Scott Bachman of Cambridge, England. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother.