In December 2024, Dr. Kojder published his latest monograph in the field of onomastics, a discipline to which he dedicated his entire academic career. We celebrated this achievement, believing it brought him closer to attaining a full professorship. Today, we hold this book, adorned with his witty dedication, and realize that many friends never received their copies - time was too short.
As a linguist, Dr. Kojder possessed a passion that led him to seek scholarly inspiration both in meticulous archival work and in the aspects of life he simply enjoyed. His body of work includes studies in historical anthroponymy, as well as writings on the language of sports and marketing chrematonyms.
Among Ukrainian studies students, he was respected not only as a lecturer but also as a person: open, kind, and always advocating for his students. In recognition of his dedication, he was awarded the Homo Didacticus diploma, an honor given to educators who receive the highest ratings in student surveys.
For years, we shared an office on the fourth floor of the New Humanities building. We always tried to schedule our classes to meet at least once a week, to enjoy a coffee together, chat, and share a laugh. It's a rare gift to look forward to going to work, knowing you're collaborating with people whose company you cherish. Thanks to Marcin, we had that joy.
He was a devoted husband and father; his stories were filled with family memories and anecdotes from bike trips, skiing, and camping adventures. Marcin was passionate about sports and pursued these interests in various ways with his sons: taking his elder son, Jaś, to the gym, and diligently driving his younger son, 11-year-old Piotruś - a promising hockey goalie and footballer - to practices, tournaments, and camps, proudly sharing the young athlete's successes with us. To Agata, Jaś, and Piotruś, we lack the words to express our condolences and support during these challenging times.
We admired Marcin as a talented and esteemed percussionist. The last time we had the pleasure of hearing him was on December 6, 2024, when he performed a beautiful concert titled "Tribute to Santana" with the Carlos Band. Less than two months ago, as we applauded him on stage, none of us anticipated that the tribute paid by the musicians to Carlos Santana would also become our musical farewell to Marcin.
He disliked grand words and pathos, navigating life with humor, aptly summarizing reality. This humor was the glue of our gatherings with friends from the former Institute of Slavic Philology, with whom we met socially outside of work. From these meetings, we have photos and videos where Marcin is always at the center: cheerful, laughing, full of energy.
One more fact illustrates the kind of person Marcin was. Several years ago, he underwent the procedure to become a bone marrow donor. The recipient was anonymous, with no familial or emotional ties to the donor. The man who, thanks to the transplant, could be reborn, was at the time of the procedure the same age Marcin was when he passed away.
We will remember him as he was until the end: smiling, full of optimism, kind, and witty. When we met a week before his surgery, he was convinced that the upcoming hospital stay was just a stage in his battle with illness. We saw that he had the strength for this fight, and we drew such an attitude from him, believing that he would overcome the disease.
Marcin, we will miss you dearly.
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