Marian P. Opala
| Marian Peter Opala | |
|---|---|
| Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, 3rd District | |
|
In office 1978–2010 |
|
| Appointed by | David L. Boren |
| Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court | |
|
In office 1991–1992 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 20, 1921 Łódź, Poland |
| Died | October 11, 2010 (aged 89) Integris Baptist Hospital, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Nationality | Polish-American |
| Relatives | Joseph Opala |
| Alma mater | New York University Law School |
Marian Peter Opala (January 20, 1921 – October 11, 2010) was a Polish-American lawyer and jurist who served as a Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court for thirty-two years. Opala was appointed to the State's highest court in 1978 by Governor of Oklahoma David L. Boren. Prior to his appointment as a Justice, Opala served the State of Oklahoma in various positions, including Assistant County Attorney for Oklahoma County, Administrative Director of the Oklahoma Court System and judge on the Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Court.
Opala was born in Łódź, Poland, the son of a prominent banker. After the German invasion of Poland in 1939, Opala, then a university student, enlisted in the Polish Army, and following Poland's defeat by Nazi Germany, joined the Polish Underground. In 1941 he escaped Poland via Turkey on the orders of his superiors in order to meet with Polish troops enlisted in the British Army in Palestine and Ethiopia to assure them that the struggle against the Nazi occupation was being waged vigorously at home with strong Allied support. After completing his mission, he served briefly with Polish troops in Italy and then parachuted back into Poland to resume his duties with the Underground.
In 1944 Opala was captured by German forces in the Warsaw Uprising and held in Flossenbürg concentration camp in Bavaria. After his liberation by the U.S. Army in 1945, he was befriended by Gene Warr, a captain in the 45th Infantry Division from Oklahoma City. Opala confided in Warr that he could not return to Poland after the Communist takeover and would probably settle somewhere in the British Commonwealth.
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