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Kazimierz Patalas
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Scientist.
Born at Rakoniewice, Poland on 24 August 1925, son of Stanislaw Patalas and Bronisława Roszak, during the Second World War he did forced labour in Germany and later joined underground resistance forces. In 1946, he graduated from a high school at Krotoszyn, Poland. There, he met Jozefa Piestrakiewicz (1927-2005) and they married in 1951. They had a son and two daughters, one of whom died at the age of 5.
He completed doctoral studies and became a research scientist in the field of limnology as Professor of Hydrobiology at Olsztyn, Poland. In 1967, he was recruited by the Canadian federal government to join its newly established Fresh Water Institute at Winnipeg. He worked there for 25 years until retirement in 1992. With colleague David William Schindler, he developed the Schindler-Patalas plankton trap that became widely used by scientists around the planet.
In this private life, he was involved with the Polish Combatants' Association and St. Andrew Bobola Roman Catholic Church. He hosted a Polish-language television show, Polonika, on a local station. In retirement, he edited the book Providence Watching: Journeys From Wartorn Poland to the Canadian Prairies (2004) about the experiences of Poles immigrating to western Canada. In recognition of his service, he received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012).
He died at Winnipeg on 16 January 2026 and was buried in the Glen Lawn Memorial Gardens.
Obituary [Jozefa Patalas], Winnipeg Free Press, 18 March 2005.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 21 January 2026.
Obituary, Arbor Memorial.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 17 October 2026
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