A coatings chemist's quest for freedom.

It is not everyday that we receive memoirs about the personal lives of coatings chemists here at Coatings World. In fact, it's never happened. That is until a few months ago when we came across the story of Yan Bielek, a senior product development chemist at West Bridgewater, MA-based Shawmut Corporation. Married to his wife Nora for 33 years with whom he has two grown children, at a glance there appears to be nothing extraordinary about this dedicated family man working a job he loves day in and day out.

But behind Bielek's seemingly ordinary life is a remarkable tale of courage, strength and ultimately survival. Born in 1951 Bielek grew up behind the iron curtain of communist-ruled Czechoslovakia. He graduated from the Slovak Technical University Bratislava--College of Chemistry in 1975, married Nora and had a son that same year. Their daughter was born three years later.

While working as a chemist life under communist rule offered very bleak prospects. It was not the life Bielek dreamed of for himself and his family. Longing for freedom, in 1984 at 33 years of age, with his wife and two small children, Bielek surrendered hope for a better life in Czechoslovakia and escaped from the country. After spending seven months in a refugee camp in Austria waiting for green cards, the family made it to the U.S.

Though without money, extended family, friends or job prospects, Bielek had finally achieved the freedom he always wished for his family. Armed only with the hope for a better future and holding firmly onto his guiding principle that "hard work must be rewarded," Bielek began to rebuild a life for his family from scratch.

Having experienced the tyrannical rule of communism first-hand, Bielek recently set out to tell his tale. His families perilous escape from the strangle hold of communism and the long journey to freedom in the U.S. inspired the title of Bielek's book and serves as a metaphor for his outlook on life. "Just Don't Turn" was self-published through Xlibris in September 2007 and is currently available at amazon.com.

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These days Bielek continues to thrive in his original profession as a chemist. Before leaving Czechoslovakia he was awarded three patents there and holds two patents in the U.S. with another two applications currently filed with the U.S. Patent Office. All of them are in the field of coatings.

When he's not hard at work over the lab bench, Bielek can be seen making presentations in local high schools, libraries and clubs regarding his inspirational tale about life in communist Czechoslovakia. As we went to press the next presentation was scheduled for September 11 in the West Bridgewater, MA public library.

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BY TIM WRIGHT

EDITOR