Tamara Samul

Tamara Samul (née Prokopczyk), 90, passed away on June 28, 2026, peacefully at home with her family by her side.

She was born on May 4th,1936 in the Village of Swidziałowka (now Nowa Swidziałowka) outside of Białystok, Poland to Michał Prokopczyk and Olga Lisowska. At the age of four, her father was murdered during the Second World War, after which she and her five siblings were raised by their mother. In the aftermath of the war, she lived at an orphanage. She graduated from the University of Lodz with a degree in economics.

The pride of her career was her time at the Podlaskie Museum in Białystok where she led the creation of the Białystok Village Museum (since 2016 the Podlaskie Museum of Folk Culture). The museum is dedicated to the preservation of traditional Polish architecture and folk culture.

Tamara’s life was defined by her devotion to family, love of learning, and her garden. In recent years, she spent much of her time amongst her flowers.

Tamara is survived by her daughters Ewa Pitcher (née Samul, with husband Bruce Richman) and Agnieszka Samul, her grandchildren: Ola Pitcher, Jenny Pitcher-Domine, Ian Pitcher, and Agatka Sochacka.

She is preceded by her husband Tadeusz Samul, her siblings, parents, and son-in-law John Thomas Pitcher.

Memorials will be held privately among family in Poland.