Longtime UNA Advisor Andrew Jula dies (11/05/00)

Longtime UNA Advisor Andrew Jula dies

Served 10 consecutive terms on Supreme Assembly

by Nick Diakiwsky

AMBRIDGE, Pa. - Andrew Jula, longtime member of the Ukrainian National Association's Supreme Assembly, died on Sunday, October 22, at the age of 89.

In the 106-year history of the UNA, he is the only member of the Supreme Assembly to be elected to serve 10 consecutive terms spanning 40 years.

Mr. Jula was born on October 1, 1911, in McKees Rocks, Pa., to the late Frank Jula and Mary Michlenko Jula. He was a reitred employee of the American Bridge Division of U.S. Steel, where he worked for 40 years, and was also employed by the Quaker Valley School District.

Mr. Jula's service to the UNA began in 1941 when he was elected to serve as secretary of UNA Branch 161 in Ambridge, Pa., a position that he would hold for the next 46 years.

At the UNA's 1954 convention in Washington he was elected to his first of 10 consecutive terms on the UNA Supreme Assembly.

During his tenure on the Supreme Assembly, the UNA purchased the UNA estate Soyuzivka; established the Scholarship Committee; built its 15-story headquarters building in Jersey City, N.J., and saw its membership peak at close to 90,000 members.

Mr. Jula was considered a "UNA Builder," a great fraternalist and a calm leader. At the 1994 UNA Convention in Pittsburgh, Mr. Jula decided not to pursue an 11th term, but rather to step aside to make room for younger members to join the General Assembly (the new name for the Supreme Assembly).

At the 1998 UNA Convention in Toronto, Mr. Jula was awarded the Rev. Hryhoriy Hrushka award in acknowledgement of his many years of service to his branch and district and the UNA Supreme Assembly. The award was presented to Mr. Jula shortly after the convention by Nick Diakiwsky Branch 161 secretary and UNA advisor.

On the branch level Mr. Jula enrolled hundreds of members in his 46 years as branch secretary. He always contributed to achieving UNA organizing quotas and was among the top organizers year after year. He had the ability to successfully reach and organize immigrant Ukrainians as well as first-, second- and third- generation Ukrainians. His efforts made UNA Branch 161 one of the largest branches in the UNA, which today stands at 396 members.

Mr. Jula was active also in organizing national UNA bowling and a youth basketball tournaments that ran for years, as well as, regular branch activities.

Mr. Jula is survived by his wife, Stephanie Hyshak Jula; a son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Florence Jula; a daughter and son-in-law, Andrea and Robert Scott; five grandchildren, Mark Jula, Richard Jula Jr., Timothy Jula, Kristin Scott; Caruana and Courtney Scott, and five great-grandchildren, Stefanie Jula, Alana Jula, Mathew Jula, Crissy Jula and Alec Scott Caruana.

Mr. Jula died at the Valley Care Masonic Center in Aleppo Township, Pa.

A funeral liturgy was conducted at Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Ambridge on October 24 by the Rev. Father Michael Polosky, pastor. Interment was at the Ss. Peter and Paul Church Cemetery.

Nick Diakiwsky is an advisor of the Ukrainian National Association, as well as chairman of the Pittsburgh UNA District Committee and secretary of UNA Branch 161.

| Home Page |