Jaroslaw Andrzej Piekalkiewicz (“Jarek”), Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Kansas, died peacefully at home on April 29, 2026.
Jarek was born in Poland on July 24, 1926, and came of age in a world turned upside down by World War II. As a teenager, he joined the Polish resistance along with other members of his family. At just 18, he fought for 63 days in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, one of the most significant acts of anti-Nazi resistance in occupied Europe. For his bravery, he was promoted to platoon sergeant and awarded the Cross of the Brave (Krzyż Walecznych), one of Poland’s highest military honors. He later served with Allied forces before the war’s end.
After the war, Jarek earned a master’s degree in economics from Trinity College Dublin and a Ph.D. in political science from Indiana University, beginning his life’s calling as a teacher and a scholar.
On July 13, 1957, he married Maura Theresa Brennan in London, a partnership that would shape the rest of his life. Together, they immigrated to the United States in 1959 and made their home in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1963, when Jarek joined the University of Kansas as an Assistant Professor of Political Science.
At the University of Kansas, Jarek was more than a professor. Through the University of Kansas Soviet and East European Area Studies program, he played a key role in establishing one of the country’s earliest academic partnerships with Poland. In 1972, he launched a faculty exchange with Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, and later with the University of Warsaw, creating opportunities for scholars from both countries to teach and learn from one another despite the political barriers of the Cold War. His academic career culminated in the publication of his book, A Dance with Death: A Holistic View of Saving Polish Jews during the Holocaust, in 2019. In it, he brought together scholarly rigor and his own lived experience to offer a rare and deeply human perspective, giving readers a more honest and nuanced understanding of resistance under German occupation.
Above all, Jarek was devoted to his family. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Children gravitated to him; he had a gentle, playful way of connecting with them that left a lasting impression. He had a strong sense of right and wrong, and he never lost his curiosity about people, ideas, and the world. He had also a wonderful sense of humor, with a great laugh, delighting in the absurdity of life in the spirit of The Good Soldier Švejk and Inspector Clouseau of the Pink Panther movies.
He is survived by his daughter, Ellen Piekalkiewicz and son-in-law Mariusz Dobek; his son, Andrew Piekalkiewicz; his grandchildren, Andrew, Natalie, Jacob, Alexander, Ethan, and Nicole; his great-grandchildren, Charlotte and August; and Kim Emmons, a cherished member of his extended family.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Maura, and his grandson, Luke Dobek.
A service will be held on July 25, 2026, at the University of Kansas Pioneer Cemetery, followed by a celebration of his life at his home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Amnesty International.
Sincere condolences from the extended Brennan family in Ireland to Ellen, Andrew and all the family on the death of Jarek. We have so many fond memories of meeting him and the late Maura on their many visits to Ireland. A true gentleman, scholar, and a gallant hero. RIP.