Marian F Bajda

Marian F. Bajda died peacefully on February 11, 2025 at the age of 100, ten days before his 101st birthday. Marian was born in Bochnia, Poland to Stefan and Jozefa Bajda (nee Jedryka).

Marian’s courageous story of survival during World War II is documented in the book written by his son Andrew, Captured in Liberation. Marian’s touching story has inspired many; from the book and dozens of talks delivered throughout northeast Ohio, as well as at the local libraries in Marian’s hometown of Bochnia, Poland and Iris’ hometown of Millom, England.

Marian and his wife, Iris, arrived in America from England on the HMHS Britannic in June of 1956 with their three young children, carrying all their possessions stuffed into three suitcases. They moved to Elyria in 1957, where he worked and was a mainstay in the community for the remainder of his life. He was a longstanding member of the Holy Cross and then St. Jude parishes and was a daily visitor at the LCCC fitness center until health issues arose in February of 2023.

He worked at Donn Products, Bendix Westinghouse, and Lear Siegler. Upon retirement from Lear Siegler in 1987, Marian used his vast skills to design and single-handedly build a house. The entire project took one full year, and he enjoyed continual upgrading with building projects around the house, including customized furniture, right up until the final years of his life. Marian will be forever remembered by family and friends for his calm demeanor and insightful words of wisdom, discussing everything from geopolitics to the colorful stories of his life.

Marian is survived by a daughter, Celia; son, Andrew (Zhen); granddaughters, Brittany (William), Lauren, Marissa and Kelly; and great granddaughters, Lucy and Charlotte.

He is preceded in death by his loving wife of sixty-eight years, Iris; daughter, Julie; parents, Stefan and Jozefa Bajda; siblings, Henryk, Stephan, Krystyna, Jerzy, Zdzislaw, and Stanislaw.

Friends may call from 4:00 - 6:00 pm on Monday, February 17 at Reichlin Roberts Bollinger Funeral Home, 327 Cleveland Street, Elyria. Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 am on Tuesday, February 18 at St. Jude Church, 590 Poplar Street, Elyria. Burial at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Avon will immediately follow. A luncheon is scheduled afterward.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Church, 590 Poplar St., Elyria, Ohio 44035.  You can donate on line by clicking here. Donations can also be made to Polish American Cultural Center, 6501 Lansing Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44105. Donations to the Cultural Center can be made on line via PayPal by clicking here.