Beloved former professor goes home 
Dr. Dee Bielecki passed away Saturday, July 8

Tigerville, SC - Dr. Dee Bielecki impacted thousands of people with her love for them and her Lord. Saturday, July 8, she passed away leaving behind a legacy of caring that will carry on far after her.
    Bielecki retired in 2004 after 15 years of teaching at North Greenville and was presented with an Honorary Doctorate of Letters. She was a constant encourager to everyone who entered her classroom. For a decade and a half at NGU she taught in the Humanities Division. Bielecki helped to start the Interdisciplinary degree program and served as an advisor to the Black Student Fellowship/Brothers and Sisters Fellowship.
    A native of Piedmont, SC, Bielecki graduated from Furman University with a BA, University of Puerto Rico with a MA, University of Hartford with a M.Ed., and Fordham University with a Ph.D. She taught children of military and government officials in Puerto Rico for 32 years. She was involved in numerous civic organizations. At the time of her death, Bielecki was the Commissioner of the South Carolina Commission on National and Community Service. She was a member of the Oconee County School District board of trustees and a deacon at Seneca Presbyterian Church.
    Nine weeks ago she had an accidental fall and had a subsequent concussion that caused bleeding and seizures. She was sent directly to the hospital where she stabilized from the injury but, still had trouble walking and remembering. In the rehab unit, she unfortunately got a staph infection that put in her ICU the first time. She managed to recover from that and went back to rehab. Then two weeks ago, she got pneumonia and that put her back in ICU for another week. She was put on the pulmonary treatment floor of Greenville Memorial at the end of last week.
    She seemed to be doing better, even laughing and talking with Dr. Cathy Sepko, Humanities Division Chair, and Shur Gopal, Mass Communication Professor, on July 4 visit. However, she had a turn for the worse Friday, July 7. She began having breathing and heart problems and was taken back to ICU. Her kidneys failed and she was put on dialysis. She continued to decline and was placed on life support Saturday. She died at 5 pm.
    Please be in prayer for her family. She is survived by her husband Andy, four sons, three daughters-in-law, nine grandchildren and two sister.
    Her collegue and close friend, Dr. Sepko aptly wrote of Bielecki, "I am reminded of a quote that seems fitting of the way she lived her life: Live your life so that when you are born, you cry but others rejoice at your coming, and when you die, you rejoice as you are going while those left behind weep. I am weeping because I have lost one of the best friends that I ever had. I am sure, however, that she is rejoicing."
    There was a memorial service at Seneca Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, July 12. Many from the University attended and several alumni participated in the service.
    A collection of memories has been placed in the Fall 2006 edition of the NGU Magazine. Because many arrived after the publication date and others had to be cut for space reasons, all of the memories the Office of Alumni Affairs received has been placed in this online memorial.