On 3 September 2024, after a long illness, Paweł Wąsik, M.Sc. - a long-time employee of the Institute of Thermal Technology (later the Thermal Technology Branch of the Institute of Power Engineering - National Research Institute), an excellent engineer, designer, scientist - passed away.
I met Paweł in 1999, when he started working at ITT, and I had the great honour and great pleasure to work with him in one team until 2019, when his work at the Institute ended. These 20 years have seen many projects together, many delegation trips, but also many contacts on a personal basis.
Paweł was born on 11 September 1957, graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University of Łódź, and continued the family tradition at the Institute. His Dad - Associate Professor Zenon Wąsik - was the ‘legend of the Institute’. - the longest-serving employee at ITC. And Paweł took over from his Father all his abilities, skills, passions... Together they were an unparalleled tandem. Just like Dad, Paweł was a brilliant designer, able to solve even the most complicated problems in the field of mechanics. How many times I had the opportunity to observe how Paweł ‘restored the second life’ to various types of machines and devices. How he introduced new patents and solutions in the electro-hydraulic controllers he serviced. The list of completed projects is very long and wide: from new electrohydraulic transducers, through numerous solutions concerning, for example, the use of the Stirling engine in power engineering, to the unique construction of an electrohydraulic metering device used in the test stand for large-diameter flowmeters. This work resulted in numerous patents, awards and prizes, including the ‘Distinguished Service to the Power Industry’ badge. Remarkably, most of these solutions were implemented in the Polish power industry in a large number of power plants and combined heat and power plants. He was also the author of a number of scientific publications and conference presentations. All of his work is the sum of the components that make up the word ‘authority’. His great passion was motoring. No car had any secrets for him. I cannot count the number of times he helped me when my cars refused to work. They did not obey me, but they obeyed him!
You could always count on Paweł. His great kindness and willingness to help won him many friends. It was not without reason that he was elected chairman of Solidarity at the Institute, and later as a representative of the Crew. He was well liked and respected. Always smiling, with a great sense of humour, also towards himself.
He had many passions. One cannot fail to mention his affectionate attitude towards our ‘smaller brothers’ - animals (especially cats). His travelling and exploring interests, how interestingly he talked about his very exotic journeys... But the most important object of love for him were his nearest and dearest.
Paweł - he was just a very kind, good man. He could put on the most stern faces and adopt a threatening attitude, and still everyone in spirit thought: ‘Be well! Despite your frowning face, we know that you are a gentle, good man, incapable of hurting anyone!’
For that is what Paweł was. Although... the word ‘BEING’ somehow doesn't fit here! Because Paul IS with us. He is in our memories, he is in our thoughts, but - above all - he is in our hearts! And always WILL BE!!!
Jacek Karczewski, Director of the Thermal Technology Branch of ITC
(Łódź, 11 September 2024)