OBITUARY: William Rybak, 82, Pennsylvania state legislator (06/27/04)

OBITUARY: William Rybak, 82, Pennsylvania state legislator

BETHLEHEM,Pa. - On February 3, Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley lost an outstanding legislator, advocate, humanitarian and community leader. The Ukrainian American community and St. Josaphat's Ukrainian Catholic Church lost a loyal son, a staunch supporter and lifetime activist. The Rybak family lost a beloved father, grandfather, brother, and uncle.

Attorney William Rybak, who died at the age of 82, overcame the loss of an arm and a leg in a childhood accident and became a veteran state legislator.

He represented the 135th District in the Pennsylvania House for five terms and chaired numerous committees during his tenure. He championed causes to help people with disabilities, led insurance reform and supported the building of Interstate 78. He also served as a Bethlehem Area school director, was an organizer of the Bethlehem Senior Citizens Council, and received many community awards, including Handicapped Pennsylvanian of the Year. After being honored as Citizen of the Decade by a bipartisan group of Bethlehem residents, he used the money he was awarded to set up the Rybak Handicapped Children's Fund, which still exists.

Born in New York City, Mr. Rybak was the son of the late John and Kalyna (Revotskie) Rybak. When the family moved to Bethlehem, Mr. and Mrs. Rybak and their five children immediately became part of the Ukrainian American community and St. Josaphat's Parish. They became prominent members of the "southside" community of Bethlehem, where most Ukrainian immigrants initially settled.

William Rybak was always a participant in the various events and activities sponsored by the local Ukrainian American community and often was tapped to give the welcoming speech or keynote address. He was instrumental in helping to organize the first commemoration of Ukrainian Independence at Bethlehem's City Hall, as well as in the state's capital, Harrisburg, and continued to participate in this celebration on an ongoing basis.

All six children of William and Louise Golab Rybak attended Ukrainian studies classes on Saturdays by Branch 91 of the Ukrainian National Women's League of America. They also sang with the children's choir and completed catechism classes at St. Josaphat's Church, where they are still very active members of the parish. The Rybaks are all members of Ukrainian National Association Branch 47.

William Rybak was described as a "bulldog" who "never gave up." He fought tenaciously for his community and its constituents and leaves a proud legacy for his children to follow. His memory will remain eternal in the history of the Ukrainian American community of the Lehigh Valley, and especially in the city of Bethlehem.

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