Witold "Victor" Adolf Ryszard Brick's Obituary
Witold Adolf Ryszard Brick (Victor) passed away peacefully at home on February 12, 2026 at the magnificent age of 103. Witold (pronounced Vee-told) was born in Warsaw, Poland on January 16, 1923 and was the son of Gustaw Brick and Erna Wegener Brick. Witold was a 16-year-old boy when the Germans invaded Poland at the start of WWII. He vividly remembered the German tanks rolling in and the ensuing confusion and terror in the streets. He was educated at the State High Technical School/Wawelberg Technical Institute, receiving his diploma equivalent in 1943, on Technical Thermodynamics during the beginning of German occupation. Classes were held in secret in basements and apartments, during a time when all educational institutions were ordered to be shut down and were banned by Nazi forces; the penalty for teachers and students was imprisonment or execution. Witold was then recruited by and joined the Polish Resistance movement, and as part of the Armia Krajowa (AK - Polish Home Army), he carried out secret missions where Nazi occupation had taken over Warsaw, primarily around the train station. He operated under the pseudonym RYS II (Lynx II), unit Warszawianka Company - Chrobry II Battalion. On August 1, 1944, Witold fought in the Warsaw Uprising, Poland's last fight to free its capital, knowing the odds were grim, yet choosing to resist tyranny. The casualties were massive during this 63-day battle, there were 150 - 200 thousand civilian deaths, and the city of Warsaw was devastated. During these extremely difficult times, Witold smuggled food to the Borscha family, who were living in the tunnel system below the city, he risked his life to check on his own family, who had survived the bombing of their apartment building and were living in the destroyed basement with other families. He noted that amongst the complete destruction and rubble, one single, perfectly untouched cross was still perched on a barely existing mantle; a vision he would never forget!
Witold was captured on October 5, 1944, became a Prisoner of War (POW), and was transported to the massive POW camp, Lamsdorf, where he was held from October to January. On January 17, 1945, Witold was forced into the Death March during the mercilessly cold winter, surviving on one bowl of broth per day and had the job of being German to Polish translator. Witold, his cousin, Tadeusz Piotrowski, and two friends, helped each other survive the Death Walk, sleeping in snowy fields on top of each other for warmth, helping each other in very weakened states to stand up every morning to march, sharing what meager food they had to survive and picking lice out of each other’s hair. Witold said that the fear was constant, as he never knew if he would survive another day, but that he also never gave up hope and leaned on his deep faith to help him through the brutality of the situation. He arrived at the prison camp, Ziegenhain, in February of 1945, completely starved and exhausted. As a 6-foot-tall man, he weighed 90 lbs. upon his arrival and only half of the soldiers who started on the death march with him, made it alive. On March 30, 1945, Witold was liberated by General George S. Patton's armies at 22 years of age.
After the war, Witold's parents unselfishly advised him not to come back to Poland, but to go and find better opportunities, as Stalin's troops marched in to take over Poland and it became a communist country. Witold joined the Polish 2nd Corp., which was part of the British 8th Army. He spent two years in Italy at the Politecnico Di Torino, learned Italian, and received a degree in mechanical engineering. He very much enjoyed warm, sunny, beautiful Italy, and the friendly people he met there, especially some of the women. In 1947, Witold was transferred to London, England and spent four years there, learned 'Queen's English,' and had to acclimate to the rainy, dismal weather and the reserved British way. He eventually made some good friendships in London and got a job at the American company, Lummus, one of the largest oil refineries in Southampton, England. In 1945, after the end of WWII, President Truman authorized a special immigration measure, The Truman Directive of 1945 and later the Displaced Persons Act of 1948, allowing approximately 10,000 Polish ex-servicemen - many of whom had fought alongside Allied forces - but could not safely return to Soviet-controlled Poland - to enter the United States. These men were largely part of the Polish Armed Forces in the West, including soldiers who had served under British command in places like Italy and Western Europe. These acts admitted hundreds of thousands of European refugees, including Witold, and he was extremely grateful for the opportunity. During the first week of February 2026, just a few days before he died, Witold visited the ‘Truman Little White House’ in Key West and had a fabulous tour. Truman became President unexpectedly after Roosevelt’s death in April of 1945. During this intense and stressful time toward the end of WWII, Truman became drained and fatigued, and was invited for a working escape by Admiral Nimitz to this location in Key West, that became known as ‘Truman Little White House.’ President Truman visited Key West for 175 total productive, but pleasant days during his presidency.
Witold immigrated to the USA on June 6th, 1951, aboard the Queen Elizabeth I, a regal transatlantic ocean liner operated by Cunard Line, between Southampton, and NYC. He vividly remembered seeing the Statue of Liberty for the very first time, as the ship entered Ellis Island, and described how breathtakingly beautiful she was at sunset. Witold was filled with excitement to explore this new country and had much hope in his heart for a better life! Since the communist regime in Poland had revoked Witold's citizenship - for not returning to Poland within their demanded timeframe - he came to the United States as a 'stateless, displaced person (Stateless DP),' a grave insult, considering his service to his country. For unknown reasons, Witold’s sponsor never met him in NYC, which was very disappointing to him. Witold ended up completely alone in a foreign country, finding shelter on a cot at a local NYC YMCA, and looking through the Wall Street Journal for professional engineering jobs. This situation, along with what he had already survived, might have launched any normal person into a depressed state, but his spirits were not broken! Witold said in his own words… "I had a good technical background, I spoke broken ‘Queen’s English,’ and had A LOT of enthusiasm!" He was also very handsome, charismatic and funny. His first U.S. trip was to Madison Avenue Headquarters of Lummus Co., where he had worked in London for several years. He received the red-carpet treatment, but when it came to salary, they decided to part ways. Instead, Witold got his first start with another company, Foster Wheeler, in the downtown Wall Street area. He rented his first apartment on 269 East 10th Street. He bought a few basic furnishings and settled down across from Greenwich Village, enjoying free enterprise after the experiences of Socialist living in England. About nine months later, he joined Devenco, Inc., consulting design engineers working for DuPont Co., with a considerable raise in salary. Witold began to save money and got involved in the stock market, he joined a number of organizations such as: English Speaking Union, Intercollegiate Alumni and various church groups catering to single people. He was instrumental in organizing a Polish Lutheran group within St. John’s Lutheran Church. He felt like he was living ‘High on the Hog!’ In 1953, Witold moved to Woodside Queen’s place, vacated by his distant cousin, Gasecki, who had married and relocated. Witold also purchased his cousin’s car, a Studebaker 1953, the first car he ever owned. Witold greatly enjoyed the freedom and independence of travel, particularly during weekends. He had an active dating life and enjoyed the cultural aspects of NYC, particularly Broadway shows, restaurants, concerts, operas, and a number of exhibitions. There was not a single Broadway or off Broadway show in those days that Witold missed, and often went to see the shows multiple times, standing room only.
On one of the happiest days of his life, Witold Adolf Ryszard Brick became a proud U.S. citizen, on July 17, 1956. From that point on, he considered himself a U.S. citizen first, of proud Polish heritage, which he always embraced and celebrated. Only then, with the protection of American citizenship, did he dare return to Poland, for the first time in thirteen years to visit his dear family. It was an extremely joyous reunion and he went on to make ten more trips back to his homeland over the years, with multiple relatives coming to visit our family in the U.S. during the summers. It was also during this time, that another happy occasion transpired, the birth of Witold’s beloved son, George, from a brief marriage while living in New York.
After spending ten years in NYC, Witold made his lifetime career as a Mechanical Engineer at E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company in Wilmington, DE, and went back twice to work at Alfred I. DuPont Children's Hospital, retiring as a Project Design Engineer in 1996. He met his wife, Glenda, at the DuPont Louvier's building, and she was a beautiful, smart and vivacious young secretary in the days of typewriters and dial-up phones. Our adorable mother wore extremely fashionable clothes, and had a smile that lit up a room. She knew every engineer at the Louvier's building and most of their wives and families; she knew which ones were respectful, upstanding good 'fellas,' and which were not. Witold was equally stylish in his suits, handsome and charming as a movie star and he courted Glenda and her young daughter, Kay. They attended DuPont events together, but had to arrive separately, as there were strict inter-company dating policies at that time. Witold and Glenda were married on August 28th, 1965, and remained happily married for 54 years! They enjoyed many DuPont company ballroom dances, lessons, lively dinner parties and Gourmet Club with friends. They had strong morals and values, were longtime members of St. Philip's Lutheran Church, Wilmington, DE and were both survivors of extremely difficult circumstances, now appreciating the good in their lives as they forged ahead. They were the very proud parents of three children: George, Kay and Michelle and were always an integral part of their children's lives.
Witold Brick was the oldest member of Masonic Lodge No. 31 AF & AM in Delaware and was honored at his 100th birthday party for his 70 years of service. He was a member of and very involved in: AMPOL (Americans of Polish Descent Cultural Society) and later in Virginia of: PAAA (Polish American Arts Society). He was an avid tennis player, table tennis (ping pong) player and a ballroom dancer with grace and flair. He enjoyed stamp and coin collecting, traveling, entertaining, camping and photography.
Witold is the beloved patriarch to his large extended family and for both Witold and Glenda, family was the center of their world. They treasured time with family and attended numerous school and sporting events for their children and grandchildren. Witold will always be remembered for his remarkable resilience and fortitude, his exceptionally positive and adventurous spirit and his zest for living life to the fullest, which he did 100%, until his last day on earth. He was witty, loving and kind with all people, children, and animals and had extreme gratitude for his life, as a WWII survivor and member of the ‘Greatest Generation.’
After Glenda passed in 2019, George, Kay and Michelle vowed to give our Dad the best life that he could possibly live for the rest of his years; and we jointly achieved that. Witold lived a full life until the end, surrounded by family who loved and cared for him. He initially lived with family in Delaware, drove a car and went daily to the Hockessin Athletic Club, until 99 years of age. He then had a total hip replacement and participated in an epic 4-country trip to Belgium, France, Italy and The Netherlands, with family in Virginia later that year. This procedure, along with a pacemaker and carotid artery stents in his late 90’s, an aortic valve replacement at 101 years of age, made it possible for our dear old Dziadzio to live a long and quality life!
In his last years, Witold lived a full life of travel and adventures in Potomac Falls, Virginia and became somewhat of a celebrity in the northern Virginia area. He traveled on United flight benefits, to Warsaw, Munich, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Hawaii, Florida, Arizona, Texas, California, Boston, and New Orleans for his 102nd birthday, among other places. He spent a great deal of time visiting Smithsonians and points of interest in Washington D.C., and dearly loved the cherry blossoms and his 'second home,' the WWII Memorial. People would see his WWII hat and jacket and want to shake his hand, thank him for his service, and take a selfie with him.
Witold was honored twice on Veteran’s Days at the WWII memorial in Washington D.C., making it on national television and was on the front page of the Metro section of the Washington Post, dated Tuesday November 12, 2024. He was honored by Virginia legislators in a commending resolution and proclamation on March 19, 2025 and also on the Congressional House floor by United States Representative, Suhas Subramanyam on February 23, 2026, just after his death. On September 16, 2025, Witold was honored on Polish National Armed Forces Day at the Polish ambassador’s house, in a very meaningful celebration. He was the chosen honored veteran on the November 5, 2025 Washington Capitals Veteran’s Day game, where the announcer told his story on the jumbotron, as Witold waved to the crowds in a standing ovation, right after Ovechkin scored his 900th goal. He participated in multiple Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day parades, riding in a WWII Jeep and waving at the crowds. He was honored on Veteran’s Day 2025, for the second time at the WWII Memorial, by NOVA Veterans organization at a formal dinner and by Mission BBQ in Sterling, where he has his own booth dedicated to him with his name and photo as a young soldier.
A memorial service and celebration of life will be held for Witold (Victor) Brick on May 1st at St. Philip's Lutheran Church, 5320 Limestone Rd., Wilmington, DE 19808. Family and friends may visit from 10-10:45 am, followed by a Masonic Lodge honoring in the Narthex, service to begin at 11 am, and then a 3-gun Polish salute in the church garden and a celebration of life with traditional Polish food, immediately after in the church hall. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Witold's memory to St. Philip's Lutheran Church.
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