UC Berkeley professor killed in Greece remembered: 'He was murdered in cold blood,' family says
Jeziorski was reportedly in Greece to attend a child custody hearing
BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) -- UC Berkeley Haas School of Business is mourning the sudden loss of beloved marketing professor Przemyslaw Jeziorski.
In an obituary posted on Monday, the University described Jeziorski, 43, as an economist "who applied his exceptional curiosity, analytical talents, and sense of justice to questions about a range of markets-and to helping his students grow comfortable with data."
Jeziorski simplified his first name to Przemek, but was better known as 'PJ' on campus. He was the type of professor to host his students for an end of semester party at his own home.
"He not only taught the subject, but he really made students want to learn the subject," said Professor Zsolt Katona, who was a friend of Jeziorski's. "Most of my career at Berkeley, we've spent together."
Jeziorski joined the department in 2012 and was most recently a tenured associate professor of marketing who held the Egon and Joan von aschnitz Distinguished Professorship in Business Administration.
As colleagues in a small department, both with a love for computers and an Eastern European connection, Professor Katona and Professor Jeziorski quickly became more.
"I come from Hungary, he comes from Poland," explained Professor Katona. "Theres a proverb in Hungarian and in Polish saying: 'Poland and Hungary are two good friends.'"
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Katona fondly remembers the summer the two professors met up for dinner while both visiting Greece. That's where he met Jeziorski's twins, Zoe and Angelo.
"He loved his kids," said Katona. "Everybody is completely devastated."
Greece is also where Jeziorski was shot and killed outside of his ex-wife home near Athens. The University confirmed that international authorities are investigating his death as a homicide.
His brother ukasz Jeziorski shared on Facebook that Jeziorski was on his way to meet his kids when he was "murdered in cold blood" and tells ABC7 News in a statement:
Przemek's studies and family were very important to him. He cared about his family. He fought for them until the end. He wanted to bring his children to his hometown of Gdynia, Poland, as he did every year. He planned a trip to Disneyland in Paris. He was very family-oriented and friendly. He never refused to help. He had always wanted to go to the USA; it was his dream. He also dreamed of buying an apartment in San Francisco. He fulfilled that dream last year. My mother and I were supposed to go to his place this year; he was very keen on it. He loved math, playing the guitar, music, and sci-fi movies. He loved traveling and had practically seen the entire world. He loved interacting with people and was very sociable. I'm four years younger than my brother. But we were like twins. We understood each other without words. We had the same interests; we both listened to metal music and watched the same movies and TV shows. We went on trips around the world together every year. We visited Argentina, India, and Turkey; he took me to the States. The States was my first trip abroad. I saw the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, the Sequoias, and San Francisco. This trip changed me greatly. This death and the circumstances surrounding it are impossible to accept. It will be very difficult for us.
"He was murdered in cold blood on the road near the house where his children live," wrote Jeziorski on his social media page.
Professor Katona said the Berkeley Haas community is also trying to help the Jeziorski family through their online fundraiser. The funds will go to legal fees and bringing Jeziorski's body back to his native Poland.
"It's amazing to see how some of my colleagues have come to help," said Katona.
The University is also planning a memorial on campus in the fall, when classes resume.
"All the wonderful people that I've met and got to learn how he was loved, I guess, that is something that I found amazing about this whole situation," said Katona. "I knew he was great, but seeing what others say about him makes me think he was one hundred times better than what I even though."
