Zbigniew 'Bob' Kabata, CM (17 March 1924 – 4 July 2014) was a Polish parasitologist, veteran of the Polish Armia Krajowa during World War II, poet, fisherman, translator and scientific administrator. He entered the Marshal Józef Piłsudski Military Academy in Lwów as a cadet in 1937.
World War II
After the invasion of Poland by Nazi forces in 1939, Kabata joined the Armia Krajowa and fought against the occupying forces.
Awards and recognition
His outstanding contribution to the field of parasitology was awarded with patronymy of 22 taxa, including most notably, the imaginatively named copepod, Bobkabata kabatabobus. He served for 15 years on the editorial board of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.
Kabata held the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Polish army, and was awarded one of Poland's highest decorations, the Grand Commander Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. For exceptional heroism during the war, he was awarded a Silver Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari, twice the Cross of Valour, War Medal (three bars), Underground Army Cross, Partisan Cross and Gold Medal for Contributions to the Defensiveness of the Country.
For his contribution to world science, he received the A. Wardle Medal from the Canadian Society of Zoologists, K. Janicki Medal from the Polish Parasitological Society and K. Demel Medal from the Sea Fisheries Institute in Gdynia, Poland. Other honours included honorary membership in four scientific societies, an honorary D.Sc. from the Agricultural University of Szczecin, Poland (1993), He was also made an honorary citizen by the Polish city of Sandomierz in the year 2000. The Law Society of Canada, Immigration Branch, granted him a newly established Immigrant Achievement Award in April 2002. In 2007, he became a Member of the Order of Canada.