OBITUARY Rick "Ski" Rudzinski knew The communication might not have just what to do after a worked, but Joyce's flaming red hair in criminal's associates had the sunshine had Ski hooked. He threatened to "get" one of commandeered her lipstick, drew a his fellow detectives in a local footy heart on the ground with it, and match. He decided to go along to the gestured for her to meet him again the game himself and, from the sidelines, next day. The two married six months watch out for his mate, then Elizabeth later in 1950. detective and now chief inspector, Joyce went about teaching Ski to Peter Graham. speak English, and, with his aptitude 20 In the end, no outside-the-rules for learning foreign languages, she attack ever came, so Ski never had to never found the task too onerous. He Police Journal drag anyone off of his young was keen to learn so he could colleague, the amateur footballer. But, establish himself in a career. until the final siren sounded, he had Besides his jobs as a chef, he remained ready to play out the worked as a bricklayer and bus driver. April 2005 protector role in case trouble struck. But, with his cookery experience, Ski Ski's care and compassion for friends thought he might set up Joyce and came as a natural extension of his himself in the hotel business. strongly held view of life: that it revolved www That plan changed after his English around family. Sadly, his own beloved had improved and he had begun to .policejournalsa.org.au family lost him on January 27, when he move in wider circles. He met a died of heart failure. He was 76. policeman from whom he learned More than anything else in his past, about life as a cop, and soon decided Ski's tumultuous beginnings shaped his law enforcement was the job for him. character. Born, raised and educated So, with his Polish accent, black in Poland, he survived, and escaped, slicked-back hair and TV-cop looks, war-ravaged Europe ­ by himself. the 29-year-old, and by then father of To flee Soviet-dominated Poland for two, joined SAPOL in 1958. From under Germany ­ where he wound up in a Adept in eight languages, Ski often camp for displaced persons ­ the then served as an interpreter for victims 20-year-old had to swim across a and witnesses, and for his colleagues freezing river in a cold European in cases of non-English-speaking Soviet thumb winter. Shivering in his underclothes offenders. on the river bank, he almost turned By the early 1960s he had become a back, until others making the same detective, and spent terms in the Anti- escape encouraged him to continue. Larrikin and General squads. In 1966, to SA detective From the German camp, he took flight he transferred to Renmark CIB, where to Italy, where he boarded a ship bound he and his young family revelled in the for Australia. And, after it docked in country lifestyle. Adelaide in 1949, Ski stepped onto In 1969, the family returned to Richard Otto Rudzinski Australian soil, with nothing more than a metropolitan Adelaide and moved into Police officer small suitcase of personal items and the a police house, as Ski began a 10- clothes on his back. year stint with Elizabeth CIB. Chief Born: Katowitz, Poland, December 2, 1928 Able to speak many languages, but Insp Peter Graham became his Died: Adelaide, January 27, 2005 not a word of English, he went into a partner in 1972. Glenelg North migrant hostel with "I was to learn much over the next others who had escaped post-war two years from a man who had Europe. With some formal training experienced so much in life," he says. he had had as a cook in Poland, "He was a great person, who just he scored work as a chef in the understood life so well and had a great hostel and, later, in Adelaide understanding of human nature. He nightclubs and hotels, including the could read people. South Australian. "Perhaps his own early life and Ski would meet his future wife, hardships had given him greater Joyce, as he and two of his friends understanding and appreciation of from the hostel took a walk along Jetty people in times of crises." Rd, Glenelg. Joyce was herself out Chief Insp Graham saw the worth of walking with two of her friends when that Rudzinski ability to read people in the three approached, asking: "Parlez- cases the two undertook together. One vous Français; sprechen sie Deutsch?" of their investigations led them to a 21 Police Journal April 2005 www .policejournalsa.org.au Ski (RIGHT) as a detective in the 1960s. paedophile, whom they arrested for he always used the word mate, but, seen children harmed or killed. In one very positive thoughts with me. repeated sexual assaults on a from his lips, it came out as "moit". rare moment, he told Joyce of a baby "I'll remember him as a good family teenaged boy with an intellectual And, before he lived in his Sellicks who had died choking on an apple. man, a good cop and a great disability. home ­ which he built up from a Ski saw the parents as neglectful and Australian. He typified the very best Time ticked by as Chief Insp shack ­ he would tell his workmates so felt great anger toward them. of those people who came to Graham interviewed the offender, that, on his days off, he was "going to Away from work, Ski loved to fish, Australia after WWII. who denied the allegations and the `shag'." read books and write letters to his "Against all the odds, he became a seemed highly unlikely to confess. Often one to go home for a meal relatives in Poland, to which he made worthwhile citizen and a hardworking During a couple of breaks, however, midway through his shift at Elizabeth, two trips in the 1980s. and decent police officer. He was a Ski urged his young partner to Ski would first call his wife to say: He enjoyed time in his garden but, credit to himself to have done what he continue. "Get da tucker on, Joyce." as a competent artist, also used to did." Says Chief Insp Graham: "Rick got "The word (shag) generated much paint and draw. Photography, too, Chief Insp Graham says he will me outside the room, and said: `I merriment among his workmates," became one of his interests. And, to remember Ski as a man who taught know he's going to roll over'. He had says Chief Insp Graham, "and many Joyce's occasional annoyance, Ski him about "people and life". "He an absolute sense of it. He knew this Ski-isms became part of the Elizabeth became a cricket fanatic. turned up here (in Australia) in the guy was going to give in ­ and he did." CIB language. Former members of The case of the abduction of 10- clothes he wore and couldn't speak As well as his knack for predicting the section still refer to `getting the year-old Louise Bell from her English," he says. "To go on and do human behaviour, Ski brought much tucker on' when they go for a meal." Hackham home in 1983 was one of what he did was absolutely humour to his colleagues. After he But Ski's peers never undervalued the last on which Ski worked. magnificent. and Chief Insp Graham quelled a pub him. To the man who came to Sadly, poor health started to plague "I think, when he died, we probably brawl between RAAF recruits and Australia with nothing ­ but learned him toward the end of his career. realized how significant his impact local hoodlums, Ski lined up the 20- the language, became a detective and Afflicted with high blood pressure, he was. He was a unique human being." odd young military men outside. raised a family ­ they gave great eventually suffered a physical and His family and friends, and many of "From the front passenger seat of respect and loyalty. And Ski mental breakdown. He left SAPOL on his former police colleagues, the CIB car," says Chief Insp reciprocated. grounds of invalidity in December 1984. farewelled him in a service at Graham, "he bellowed like a sergeant In 1978, he transferred to In the years that followed, he Hawthorn on February 3. major, and double-marched them Darlington and, soon after, Christies missed the police life terribly. Ski is survived by his wife, Joyce, back to the RAAF base. The RAAF Beach CIB, where his working life Police Association president, Peter four of his five children, eight police took possession of their would end a few years later. Alexander ­ another of Ski's former grandchildren and five great- personnel ­ delivered in formation. Ski simply loved police work, and Elizabeth CIB colleagues ­ heard from grandchildren. The recruits were glad to be rescued never considered an alternative him in the months just before his death. ­ Brett Williams from `Rick's command'." career. He relished the police culture, He says of the conversation: "He Ski's accent and phraseology led to with its unbreakable camaraderie and rang me and sounded his same old the creation of "Ski-isms" and, strong social aspect. self ­ very supportive and very team- consequently, more humour among Never did he take the job home, orientated; a wonderful character. I his colleagues. Like a good Aussie, except in some cases in which he had was honoured that he shared some