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In Memoriam

Leszek Aleksander Rybaczyk - Class Of 1998

Leszek Aleksander Rybaczyk, son of Pramod and Dorothy (Rybaczyk) Pathak, was born 23 April 1980, Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico.  He graduated in 1998 from Okemos High School.

Leszek married Kelly Suzanne McNally and they had a son.  Leszek died 28 May 2016.

Schoedinger Funeral Home, Columbus, Ohio obituary:

Leszek Aleksander Rybaczyk, Ph.D., J.D., born Leszek Amaru Pathak in Albuquerque, NM on April 23rd, 1980, passed away on May 28th, 2016 in his home. He is survived by his son, Preston Aleksander, his parents, Dorothy Rybaczyk Pathak and Pramod Kumar Pathak, his sister, Anna "Ania" Dorota Pathak, his brother, Bogdan Amaru Pathak, four close cousins-Maureen and James McGraw, Anna and Cezary Budny, along with their families and many loving aunts and uncles in the United States, Poland, and India. He is also survived by his former wife, Kelly McNally Rybaczyk.

Dr. Rybaczyk attended Our Lady of Fatima Elementary School, Jefferson Middle School in Albuquerque, NM, the Florida Air Academy in Melbourne, FL, and graduated from Okemos High School in Okemos, MI. He received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Ohio University, a Doctorate in Integrated Biomedical Sciences from the Ohio State University, and a Juris Doctor from Capital Law School in Columbus Ohio.

At the time of his death, Dr. Rybaczyk was studying for a Legum Magister in biomedical law, having worked as a researcher of cancer etiology and pharmacological metabolism at the Ohio State University, Nationwide Children's Hospital, and Michigan State University. He had published several papers on the commonalities between types of cancers and has actively pioneered a novel technique to elucidate the primary genetic cause of specific phenotypes. As an undergraduate at MSU and prior to attending Ohio University, Dr. Rybaczyk was an integral part of the outreach efforts for the Polish Women's Health Study. He created the public service announcement and designed the banner that appears on the gifts the women received for their participation. Ever a visionary, he also conceptualized and developed a system to broadcast lectures and screen videos, which was later incorporated into Camtasia Studio.

Leszek was an active collector of watches, trained to become a pilot, and loved to explore the latest technology and apply it, often well ahead of its time, but he was an artist at heart: his paintings of landscapes and photographs of people and animals are remarkable. He loved his son and family, and strived to be an active and good father, brother, and son. Leszek rose above the challenges of his childhood, married and started a family, and has contributed to the shared body of scientific knowledge. His hope was to also contribute to our ever changing body of legal knowledge. The immense loss of such a brilliant life cut short so soon will be felt by many.

A Catholic Mass celebrating his life will be held at three o'clock in the afternoon on June 1, 2016 at St. Matthew the Apostle Catholic Church, 807 Havens Corners Rd., Gahanna, Ohio. A public visitation will be held in the hour prior to the Mass at St. Matthew's. A memorial fund in Leszek's name will be established, for further information, please contact Bogdan Pathak c/o Schoedinger Funeral Home, 1051 E. Johnstown Rd, Gahanna 43230. Visit www.schoedinger.com to share memories or extend condolences.