OBITUARIES (11/03/96)

OBITUARIES

Sister Mary Oksanna Popiel OSBM, longtime elementary school teacher

FOX CHASE MANOR, Pa. - Sister Mary Oksanna Popiel of the Sisters of St. Basil the Great in Fox Chase Manor died on October 8.

A native of Poland born in 1919, Sister Oksanna came to Chicago as a child and became a parishioner of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral. She entered the Sisters of St. Basil in 1935 and made her final profession in 1944.

Assigned to various parish elementary schools staffed by the sisters, she taught in Watervliet, N.Y.; the towns of Reading, Scranton, Centralia, Olyphant, Northampton and Arnold in Pennsylvania; and at St. Josaphat's in Philadelphia. Sister Oksanna taught primary and elementary grades, but her pride and joy were the "little ones" preparing for their first holy communion.

Sister Oksanna completed 19 years at Immaculate Conception school in Hamtramck, Mich., where she became ill and was brought back to Fox Chase on October 5.

She is survived by a sister, Patricia Sutherland of Bergenfield, N.J., and a cousin, Leo Popiel of Des Plaines, Ill.

Sister Oksanna was dedicated and devoted to her students and her many friends in Hamtramck, where she was assigned until her illness.

A memorial service was held on October 10 at the Motherhouse Chapel in Fox Chase, followed by a funeral liturgy on October 11, with burial at the sisters' cemetery in Fox Chase.

Ted Komar, music man well-known at Ukrainian Canadian festivals

by Christopher Guly

OTTAWA - For decades, he was the minstrel at all of Canada's major Ukrainian cultural festivals. Accordion in hand and a big grin on his face, Ted Komar was the premiere Ukrainian Canadian music man.

Following a lengthy illness, Mr. Komar died in London, Ontario, on October 3. He was 67.

Nicknamed "Bear," Mr. Komar's career encompassed six decades and began when he performed on Winnipeg's CJRC and CKY radio stations.

He would eventually become an orchestra soloist and moved to television, appearing on the long-running series, "Red River Jamboree."

Mr. Komar traveled extensively, playing to Canadian troops stationed overseas and for audiences as far north as Alert in Canada's Arctic and as far south as the Sahara Desert.

One of the founders of Winnipeg's immensely popular multicultural summer festival, Folkorama, Mr. Komar also established several music schools under his name. A memorial service was held in Winnipeg on October 9. Mr. Komar leaves behind his wife of 46 years, Helen, two children and two grandchildren.

Robert Nicholas Zencuch, 20

by Mary K. Siemon

MINNEAPOLIS - On August 10, a tragic car accident in Wisconsin claimed the life of Robert Nicholas Zencuch, 20, son of the Very Rev. Stefan and Dr. Katarina Zencuch.

Robert Nicholas was born in Kosice, Czecho-Slovakia. He was only 4 years old when he arrived with his parents and sister, Jane, in America. The Rev. Zencuch's first parish was in Minneapolis and later in Chicago where the family resided for 10 years. When the family arrived in Minnesota for the second time in 1992, Robert Nicholas attended Mounds View High School and graduated in 1995.

While in high school he studied hard, enjoyed playing soccer and tennis and being with friends, worked part-time jobs, and still found time to give to charitable works by helping to pack boxes of clothing and sorely needed items destined to help the needy in Europe.

He was active in the Ukrainian Orthodox League and a Christian organization for teens called Teens Encounter Christ.

When the family arrived in Minnesota in July of 1992, it wasn't long before I was warmly greeted and adopted into their family as their "American grandma." Since my own immediate family lives in Seattle, and we could not be together at holidays and other special times, I was graciously welcomed into their home as part of the family to share happy holidays. Robert Nicholas was always present, appropriately and handsomely dressed, always the gentleman, seating me at the family table, while assisting his mother in her preparations. I marvelled at his good manners, his warmth and friendliness.

When his parents transferred to Silver Spring, Md., Robert Nicholas stayed in Minnesota working and attending the University of Minnesota.

For many years he faithfully served at the altar, assisting his father during church services with dignity and reverence. When his parents left for their new assignment, Robert Nicholas regularly attended St. George Ukrainian Orthodox Church, just a few blocks from his rooming house, where he would also serve and assist the priest at the altar.

On August 14 a memorial service was held for Robert Nicholas at the Kozlak-Radulovich Funeral Home in Minneapolis. Officiating at the panakhyda was Bishop Paisij, spiritual fathers from the three Ukrainian Orthodox Churches of the Twin Cities area, and guest clergy: the Rev. Anthony Coniaris of St. Mary Greek Orthodox Church and the Rev. Michael Stelmach of St. Constantine Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Many of Robert Nicholas's friends came to pay their last respects - school friends, co-workers, parishioners from all the churches, friends of the family and out-of-town guests. The combined choir of the three Ukrainian churches under the direction of Kira Tsarehradsky very beautifully and movingly sang the responses.

The following day, the remains were shipped to South Bound Brook, N.J., where on August 17 a funeral service took place in the Memorial Church of St. Andrew. Officiating were Metropolitan Constantine together with Archbishop Antony and many attending clergy. Burial followed at the Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery.

Many people came from neighboring parishes along with their clergy as did parishioners from St. Andrew Cathedral of Silver Spring, Md., who traveled by bus to attend the service. Following the burial service, the sisterhood of St. Andrew Church hosted a memorial dinner for the family and mourners.