| Obituary - Stan (Edward) Szyczewski
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Issue: 05/11/2021
It's with a very heavy heart that I record the passing of Stan (Edward) Szyczewski, who was a long standing member of the Puli fraternity and Vice President of the Hungarian Puli Club of Great Britain.
Stan was at the HPC of GB double Ch Sh on October 17 and competed in both shows, taking the RDCC at both with Chumley, Ch Weetoneon Buggah the Beaujolais. It was clear that Stan was unwell and by the time of the second show came around, he used a runner to move Chumley, something I cannot remember him using in the past, other that when he had a bad knee, and that was only under protest, needless to say his late partner Avril Lacey won the argument.
On the day of the Ch shows, I had asked him if he was feeling alright, to which he said he was, that had been to a Walk-In Clinic and had been told he has a virus and was told he would be fine, and it would pass. Naturally it came as a massive shock to be told his body had been found on Sunday 24th and that he may have passed a few days prior. Chumley is now in the care of Catherine Knight and is recovering from his sad ordeal.
What to say about the man, well I can only speak as I found, and that was someone who was frequently so laid back, I wondered how he didn't fall over. It is impossible to talk about Stan without talking about Avril too, and often she was seen as the driving force of this long-standing partnership. However, Avril told me that Stan had his ideas about which direction their breeding programme should go in and which dog should be shown at which show etc, and the secret was to negotiate with him and make sure that he didn't dig his heels in, because once he did, there was no way forward. Stan once confided that these episodes occurred because he enjoyed the 'battle of wills' but would usually acquiesce, but only when he was ready to.
Stan and Avril met in 1986 when they were both active in Afghan Hounds. Prior to this, in 1974. Avril had approached Pat Lanz and acquired bitch puppy, the foundation bitch of the Weetoneon Pulis who was Ch Borgvaale Fanny By Gaslight. Fanny went on to become the first Puli to achieve a Group win. Together with Stan, with their breeding plans, the pair went on to produce a long line of champion Pulis amongst which was Ch Weetoneon the Equalizer who held the breed record until recent years.
Stan and Avril moved to France in 2006 when Stan took early retirement from his plumbing business. I had the pleasure of staying with them twice and they could not have been more hospitable if they tried and it was clear that they worked as a team. The home in France had been in need of a great deal of work and Stan took great pride in showing me all the work he had done on the property. Sadly, Avril was diagnosed with cancer which led to her eventual demise in March 2016, and it's fair to say that Stan was never quite the same again.
Stan returned to live in the UK in the following year and enjoyed showing Chumley proud to be flying the Weetoneon flag again on these shores, but adjusting to life without Avril had taken a lot of happiness out of his efforts as Avril was no longer here to share it with. Looking at the recent comments on social media, people have commented that he liked to share a joke and a laugh with people, and made time to give an encouraging word for new Puli people, all of which is true. I shall miss his phone calls telling me about his nights at the working men's club in his village, his beers and skittles nights, and his pleasure of finding a part for a motorbike at an auto jumble.
In all the years I had known Stan, I cannot remember that he shared much about his early years, childhood and family, other than he grew up in Rushden, Northants, his father was a Polish serviceman who remained here after WW2. Possibly that is why when he returned, he chose to be as near to his childhood home as possible. It often occurred to me that Stan felt life began when he met Avril and he preferred to live in the here and now and usually he had a view to the future, preferring to leave the past where it was. And so ends an era in the Weetoneon kennel. RIP Stan who is now reunited with his beloved Avril.
There are no funeral details as yet.
Mike Gilchrist (on behalf of the HPC of GB)
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Stan Szyczewski
We say 'goodbye' to our old friend of decades Stan Szyczewski. He was always know as Stan, not by his name Edward as he did not like it. I used to call him that as kiddie to wind him up! I understand it was one of his Polish father's names after Waldemar.
My recollections of Stan go back to the early 80's, when my mother Angela Lee-Brown, (Palamedees) decided to use Ch Karnak Shamrock on Khanabad Winter Fashion.
Stan was born in 1949 if my Mother remembers correctly. He very sadly he passed away alone in his house in Rushden, Northampton last week. He was found by a good friend who became concerned that he was not answering mobile or texts.
His dog Chumley is safe and sound! Chumley of course being a top winner and Grandson of 'Turbo'.
Stan first ventured into dog ownership with his then wife Julie. My mother believes this first dog was a wedding anniversary gift from one to the other. This dog was an Afghan Hound, none other than the famous Ch Karnak Shamrock bred by Keith and Brenda Thornton in 1978. 'Seamus' was one of the 'Famous 5', in the same litter of Champions was Ch Karnak Bay JW, Ch Karnak Chilli JW, Ch Karnak Thyme JW and the female retained by Keith and Brenda, Ch Karnak Juniper JW.
Shamrock was made up very quickly and became a superb sire of a good number of Champions from various kennels and breed lines, such as Alan Brooks (Bondor), Angela Lee-Brown (Palamedees) who also co-owned him for a while, Mike Wilson (Playfere), Roberta Hall (Saxonmill), Ifmaraf, Katree etc. We all know the names and kennels in Afghan Hounds.
It would appear in all Shamrock sired 232 offspring, including multi UK Champions, CC, RCC and JW winners and many other successful Afghan Hounds, an amazing legacy...
After Stan and Julie parted in the early 80s, Stan had a son from the Shullimar litter which became Ch Shullimar Rainbow Warrior. Angela Lee-Brown also co-owned this boy for a while. 'Warrior' used to love sitting on my Grandmother's bed. We have some lovely photos somewhere. Stan also had two daughters of 'Shamrock'. One eventually went to live with a neighbour in Rushden and the other used to come to our London house with Shamrock and Warrior.
Angela and Stan dated but did not stay together and he was like my dad for a while. Maybe after I kicked my football on the flat roof as a 10 year old kiddie and Stan was in a clean white shirt and jeans and refused to get my ball and then we went to parents evening at school! Not good! Maybe I was to blame for the break up?
Stan finally met Avril and their relationship lasted for the remainder of Avril's life until she tragically lost her life to cancer five years ago. They had great success with Avril's Weetonian Pulis and some good Afghan Hound litters. Later on, they retired to France together but Stan returned to live in Northampton after her death.
Stan was very fond of Rock and also Metal music, he loved Status Quo, also he was very keen on motor bikes and belonged to a Bike Club that would meet up near his home in the local pub where I have been told he'd enjoy propping up the bar! Good man!
Joseph Lee-Brown (Palamedees)
