Community remembers Myroslaw Samchyshyn (04/09/00)

Community remembers Myroslaw Samchyshyn

by Dr. Pavlo Pundiy

CHICAGO - Members of the Shevchenko Scientific Society chapter in Chicago and the staff of the Encyclopedia of the Ukrainian Diaspora on February 5 commemorated the late Myroslaw Samchyshyn at services celebrated by the Rev. Mitred Ivan Krotec and the Rev. Myron Panchuk at Ss. Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church.

A week later Father Pankratiy celebrated a memorial mass at the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Volodymyr in Chicago. This was followed by a luncheon in the parish hall prepared by the Sisterhood of St. Olha.

Sviatoslav Lychyk led a program that included a presentation by Serhiy Illiuk about the life of Prof. Samchyshyn and his activities in journalism, scholarship and community life. He also enumerated his extensive efforts on behalf of St. Volodymyr Parish. Oleksandra Diachenko-Kochman, former director of the Saturday school at the Cathedral of St. Volodymyr, mentioned also the late wife of Prof. Samchysyn, Olha (nee Decyk), who had been a longtime parishioner and teacher at the school, a helpmate and advisor to her husband.

Dr. Pavlo Pundiy spoke about the activities of the professor as a member of the Shevchenko Scientific Society (NTSh). That scholarly association in 1985 published the extensive work, "A Thousand Years of Ukrainian Culture," financed by the Drs. Peter and Olha Mociuk Foundation. The book was recently republished in Ukraine. Prof. Samchyshyn had been very gratified, and hoped to have his work published in English also. NTSh in New York funded a translation, prepared by Marko Levytskyi, but Prof. Samchyshyn died suddenly on February 5, 1999, before the publication of the English-language version.

The board of the NTSh chapter in Chicago, on the advice of Prof. Vasyl Markus, decided to send the manuscript, along with additional materials and disquettes to New York, where the NTSh Publications Committee is expected to proceed with publishing the translation.

Mr. Lychyk informed those present that Prof. Samchyshyn was a benefactor of the Museum-Library at the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Center in South Bound Brook, N.J., where his scholarly papers and archives will be preserved and a memorial tablet installed.

| Home Page |