A Final Farewell to Master Mariner Leszek Górecki

It is with deep sadness that we received the news of the passing of Master Mariner Leszek Górecki on 19 June at the age of 96. He was a 1951 graduate of the Faculty of Navigation at Gdynia Maritime Academy, a long-standing academic lecturer, and a highly distinguished figure within the maritime community.

Master Mariner Leszek Górecki was one of the most prominent representatives of the Polish maritime sector. During his many years of professional activity, his roles included serving as a deep-sea pilot and Director of the Maritime Office, as well as Chair of the Examination Board for Officers of the Polish Merchant Navy at the Maritime Office in Gdynia. For many years, he was also closely associated with Gdynia Maritime Academy, where, as a lecturer at the Faculty of Navigation, he shared his knowledge and experience with successive generations of future merchant navy officers.

He served as Chair of the Maritime Disciplinary Board for Officers and Masters of the Polish Merchant Navy, was a co-founder and the first long-serving Chair of the Gdynia Master Mariners' Association, and co-founded the Society of Friends of the Dar Pomorza.

In recognition of his professional and public service, he was honoured with numerous decorations, including the Gold Cross of Merit, the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, and the honorary badges ‘Meritorious Maritime Personnel’, ‘For Meritorious Service to the Gdańsk Region’, and ‘For Meritorious Service to Polish Culture’.

He was also the laureate of this year's ‘Conqueror of the Seas and Oceans’ award, a distinction granted to individuals who have made the most outstanding contributions to Gdynia Maritime University.

We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and loved ones.

The Rector, Senate, and Academic Community of Gdynia Maritime University

A funeral Mass in memory of the deceased will be held on 25 June at 12:00 at the Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St Peter the Fisherman, located at ul. Portowa 2 in Gdynia.

Following the Mass, the funeral service and committal will take place at 13:30 in the Chapel of the Witomiński Cemetery in Gdynia (ul. Witomińska 76).