WORCESTER____Elizabeth M. (Rzeczycki) Tomaszewski, 67, of Worcester, died on Sunday October 3, 2021 in her home with her family by her side. She leaves her kind husband, Ryszard Tomaszewski, her daughters, Julia S. Tomaszewski and Alexis J. Tomaszewski, a brother, Paul Rzeczycki and a sister, Julye DePetrillo, and her puppy Luca.
Liz was born in Claremont, NH., a daughter of Alexander and Agnes (Kotomski) Rzeczycki and has lived in Worcester for most of her life. She graduated from Stevens High School, Keene State College, and received her MBA from Bentley College. Liz was the Associate Sustainability Director, Facilities Systems Manager, and Campus Ombudsman for Worcester Polytechnic Institute where she worked for 15 years.
Liz’s involvement in the community was immeasurable. Her passions included women's rights, breast cancer awareness, and sustainability pursuits. She was a member of the Worcester City Manager’s Advisory Committee on the Status of Women and a 2007 recipient of the Denise Nicoletti Trustees’ award for Service to Community. She served on the board of the Pink Revolution, a nonprofit group affiliated with UMass Medical School and UMass Memorial, which fundraises for and educates breast cancer patients and survivors in Central Massachusetts, and was a 2010 recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Award to honor her character, work, and influence at WPI.
She was especially passionate about her role as Associate Sustainability Director at WPI, being a founding member of the Sustainability Committee. She managed numerous activities for the university's sustainability plan, including Eco-Rep’s at WPI, Recyclemania, GreenerU, Electric vehicle showcases, Waste Management audits, which were all designed to raise awareness of sustainability issues and made a significant impact on the WPI community.
Liz was also a member of several professional groups, including the AASHE (Association of Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) Advisory Council, the Education Society for Resource Management, and the International Ombudsman Association.
In her private time, Liz was happiest spending her time with family and friends. She enjoyed summer camping trips with her family on the coast of Maine and in Sunapee, NH. She was an avid reader, gardener, and mentor to her daughters and students at WPI. She was an active member in Mary’s Cenacle, her prayer group formed from Our Lady of Czestochowa.
“Whatever she did, there’s no one in the world that did as much as she did” - Ryszard Tomaszewski.
The funeral will be held on Thursday, October 14, 2021 from HENRY – DIRSA FUNERAL HOME, 33 Ward Street, with a Mass at 6:30 P.M. in Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, 34 Ward Street. Burial will be private in Saint Mary’s Cemetery, Claremont, New Hampshire. Visitation will be held in the funeral home with calling hours from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M. Thursday, October 14, 2021.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Our Lady of Czestochowa parish.