The family of an octogenarian found dead in tragic and mysterious circumstances last week in Dundee, nearly 100 km from his residence, hopes that the coroner’s inquest will allow him to understand what happened.
In an unusual burst of frenzy and without telling anyone, Jan Sosnowski left his residence in Saint-Constant during the day of March 2 and traveled part of the Montérégie aboard his precious Jeep Cherokee. The 85-year-old traveled to Dundee, an area where he used to go goose hunt with his best friend some 30 years ago. But his improvised escapade turned tragic when he hit a Hydro-Quebec pole on the way to Dundee Centre. It was probably while trying to get help on foot that the Polish native slipped into a ravine. His body was discovered only the next day by the police. A coroner’s inquest is underway to understand the circumstances of this unnamed tragedy.
Recent melancholy
Jan Sosnowski had been going through a great period of nostalgia for a few months and remembered fond memories of the time when he was younger. This recent melancholy could explain why he left on a whim, which was not at all in his habits, according to those close to him.
The Sosnowski family was always tight-knit and always kept up to date on all his whereabouts. The one called Dziadzia, which means grandfather in Polish, was also the cornerstone.
“I’ve never known a house where he didn’t live with us,” says his granddaughter Karolina Deptula.
Soccer and disco fan
Arrived in Canada in 1986 to escape a difficult social context in Poland, the bon vivant knew how to maintain his roots while integrating into his host country. His daughter, who lived above him, had only to strain her ears to hear the sound of her television, almost always tuned to soccer or Polish disco.
The one who is portrayed as a true “gentleman” has never mastered French, but has always been able to make himself understood.
“We spoke to each other in key words and it was impressive to see how much we understood each other”, explains Romain Pourchon, who will marry Ania, the granddaughter of Mr. Sosnowski this summer.
“Sometimes he would pick me up and say he wanted to show me something in his garage. But he had nothing to show me, he just wanted to have a drink and not be bothered by the girls, ”adds the young man who had developed a good bond with the deceased, laughing.
His precious daughters
Beyond the humor, the octogenarian would have done everything for his daughter and his granddaughters, who were the apple of his eye, and of whom he was immensely proud. Trained as a mechanic, he still persisted in changing the tires of their cars. Every evening when she returned from work, his daughter would drop by to see him in his basement apartment to discuss their day. A small snack prepared with love and meticulousness as well as a good glass of wine were systematically served for her.
“There were also inevitably his famous game sausages, prepared with the meat he had hunted, of which he was very proud. It’s a taste that I will always associate with him. adds Karolina Deptula.
Although he was aware of his advanced age, Jan Sosnowski was very proud and wanted to maintain his independence. Last fall, he surprised the whole family by bringing home a deer himself from a solo hunting trip. He did not suffer from any dementia, but lived with heart problems and diabetes.
Along with the love of his life
The octogenarian will be buried next to his wife, in Mansonville, where he owns a chalet. Since the death of the “great love of his life” in 2003, Mr. Sosnowski has never stopped cleaning the tombstone and bringing flowers and candles. At each visit, he spoke to her as if she had never left him.
“He was a noisy man, who took up a lot of space, but in a good way, explains Karolina Deptula. One wonders how one day we will be able to accept this emptiness. »
-With Maxime Deland, QMI Agency
◆ A fundraising campaign was launched on Facebook to support the family of the deceased.
Reference-www.journaldemontreal.com