By the Family

Feb. 24, 2016:  Former Bronxville resident Witold Sulimirski died on February 10, 2016, after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was born on May 18, 1933, and was 82 at the time of his death.

He is survived by Teresa, his wife of 58 years; three children, Ela Landegger (Cary), Adam (Diane, née Schineller), and Edward (Edwina, née Field); nine grandchildren; and two brothers.

Born in Lwow, Poland, and smuggled out of Poland at the end of World War II, he was educated at the University of Cambridge and earned a master's degree in economics at the University of Strasbourg. He emigrated to the United States in 1957 and worked as a banker for Irving Trust Company in New York, with postings to Beirut, London, and Frankfurt. After 32 years, he retired in 1989 as senior executive vice president. Upon arrival to the United States in 1957, Witold joined the National Guard and served as a staff sergeant until 1963.

Witold's professional and charitable endeavors brought him to the attention of the governments of his homeland and his adopted country. In recognition of his professional work and his philanthropic endeavors working with President Lech Walesa and other leaders, he received the Commander's Cross of Merit and Officer's Cross of Merit from the Republic of Poland; he received invitations to the White House by Presidents Carter, Reagan, and Bush; and he earned the Grand Cross of Obedience and Honor from the Knights of Malta.

Witold provided advice on the business development of banking systems in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and, eventually, Poland, counseling sheiks, presidents, and many prominent business leaders worldwide. Assignments included financing of development in the Arabian desert before the oil boom and opening Irving Trust branches in Beirut and Frankfurt. He presented and participated in many conferences, including those sponsored by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and Zbigniew Brzezinski's Center for Strategic & International Studies.

Upon his retirement from the bank, which coincided with the Solidarity Movement in Poland, Witold spearheaded the coalition to create AmerBank, the first international bank in post-communist Poland. Subsequently, at the behest of the White House, he served as executive director of the USAID-­financed American Investment Initiative, which encouraged and facilitated U.S. investment in Poland. Witold advised and assisted over 100 companies on strategy and operations. He was a consultant for Polish and American companies and Poland's Ministry of Privatization and also served as a board director of various international banks, as well.

Witold's volunteer activities included serving as a director of the National American-Arab Affairs Council, a director of the Middle East Policy Council, a director of Bicentennial Publications, chairman of Polish Assistance, treasurer of the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences, chairman of The Kosciuszko Foundation, and vice president of the Polish Knights of Malta.

A celebration of life will be held at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville from 2:00 to 4:00 pm on Friday, April 22. A Catholic funeral mass will be held later near Krakow, Poland, in the Church of Maksymilian Kolbe, which was consecrated by Pope John Paul II, with interment in the Knights of Malta Chapel.

Donations in his memory may be made to The Kosciuszko Foundation, 15 East 65th Street, NY, NY 10065. Alternatively, donations may be made to the Polish Knights of Malta. 

Pictured here:  Witold Sulimirski with his wife, Teresa, in 2007.

Photo courtesy Ela S​ulimirski Landegger