Wanda Wilk MA ’76, a philanthropist, educator and patron of Polish music, died Feb. 18 in her Los Angeles home after a long illness. She was 88.

Wilk’s vision for the promotion of Polish music led to the creation of the Polish Music Center at USC. The center has operated on campus under the auspices of the USC Thornton School of Music since 1985. She served as the center’s director for the first 10 years of its operation, continuing as honorary director after retiring in 1996. Her contacts with many prominent Polish musicians led to numerous concerts she organized at USC and throughout Southern California. The Polish Music History Series, a cycle of books on Polish music published by the center, was introduced with Wilk’s volume commemorating composer Karol Szymanowski’s centenary in 1982. She served as editor in chief for the first six volumes of the series and also wrote numerous articles about Polish women composers.

Wilk graduated from Wayne State University in 1943. After teaching in Detroit public schools for several years, she moved to California in 1949. She enrolled in a master’s program at USC but interrupted her studies while continuing to perform as a pianist at charity benefits. In 1952, she married Stefan Wilk and subsequently became a full-time homemaker.

In 1974, she returned to USC’s music school to finish her degree. It was the lack of reference materials on Polish music at the university that inspired the creation of the Polish Music Center.

She and her late husband, Stefan, were awarded the Polonia Award from the Southern California chapter of the Polish American Congress in 1988 and later received a gold medal from the Polish Composers’ Union, where she served as an honorary member. In 1992, the Wilks established Ars Musica Poloniae, a charitable foundation that coordinates a variety of projects on Polish music for Polish students in Los Angeles.

She was awarded the Polonia Restituta medal, the highest state award bestowed by Poland, in 1996. Her honors at USC include the Director’s Award from the USC Thornton School of Music (1982), the Torchbearers’ Award (1992) and the President’s Commendation (2005).

Wilk is survived by her daughter, Diane Wilk-Burch, son-in-law Michael Burch, three grandchildren and other relatives in Southern California.