Syracuse, N.Y. – Dr. John Hvozda peacefully passed on the evening of June 5, while being visited and comforted by loving family members and dear friends, namely, his devoted wife, Valentyna; son, John Ivan Hvozda, with his wife, Sofia Hvozda; daughter, Lida Hvozda Buniak, with her husband Dr. Borys Buniak; grandchildren William, Nicholas, Zachary and Adriana Buniak; sister Anastasia Majkowycz and niece Lesia Reubsamen.
Dr. Hvozda was born on February 20, 1927, in Wysoczany, Ukraine. In 1944, during World War II, he left his beloved Ukraine, as well as his mother, Maria, father, Vasyl, and younger brother, Dmytro, to attempt to facilitate safe passage for his older sister, Anastasia, in the search for her husband abroad, then a war veteran. Due to circumstances of war, John was eventually separated from his sister and sent to several displaced persons (DP) camps in Austria and Bavaria.
At the Schauenstein DP camp, at the age of 17, he completed his secondary school studies at a nearby American refugee camp. Mr. Hvozda subsequently entered law school at the Ukrainian Free University in Munich, Germany, graduating in 1950. In 1950, he was able to receive sponsorship and immigrate to the United States.
During the Korean War, Mr. Hvozda served honorably as a U.S. Air Force sergeant, where he inspected planes. In addition, as a natural-born athlete, Sgt. Hvozda participated in numerous Air Force boxing matches. Sgt. Hvozda received the National Defense Service Medal and a Good Conduct Medal.
After four years of military service, Mr. Hvozda came to Syracuse to continue his studies at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He obtained his M.A. in international law and relations in 1958 and completed course work toward a doctorate. Mr. Hvozda re-entered the Ukrainian Free University in Munich in 1965 and three years later, with his wife having recently completed her studies in Syracuse University and two small children, he earned his L.L.D. in administrative law, magna cum laude.
As a political science professor at Cayuga County Community College (1963-1982), Dr. Hvozda conceived the idea of creating a Model United Nations Conference in conjunction with the Council of International Relations and United Nations Affairs and a handful of high schools. Within 10 years of its inception in 1964, under the direction of Dr. Hvozda, the Model U.N. Conference had expanded its scope to colleges as well, and its participants grew in number to more than 300 annually. Dr. Hvozda was honored as a recipient of the “Salute to New Citizens Award” presented by the Citizens Foundation of Syracuse.
As a consistently active member of the Ukrainian community, he was the founder of the Syracuse chapter of the Ukrainian American Youth Association, a scoutmaster in Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization, president of the World Lemko Federation, president of the Syracuse branch of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, director of the Ukrainian Free University Foundation, board member of the United Nations Association of Central New York and chief editor of the Lemko News.
Dr. Hvozda was also a member of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences (U.S.) and a member of the board of advisors of the Federation of Ukrainian Student Organizations of America (known by its Ukrainian-based acronym as SUSTA). He was also a member of the Ukrainian American Association of University Professors, and the New York State Russian and Eastern European Association.
Dr. Hvozda was a prolific writer, authoring over 118 newspaper articles in such publications as Svoboda, Sivach, The Ukrainian Weekly and The Syracuse Post Standard, to name just a few. Dr. Hvozda was also the editor of the book “Annals of the World Lemko Federation.” The publication, written in Ukrainian with brief commentaries and summaries in English, was introduced to stimulate scholarship and to provide an outlet for the publication of significant contributions in Ukrainian Lemko studies, such as history, geography and dialects of Lemkivshchyna, and Lemko music and ballads.
When asked why he chose to become a U.S. citizen, Dr. Hvozda explained, “I wanted to become a member of a society in which the status of the individual is not determined by his family ties, religion, race or nationality, but by the extent he is capable of developing himself on his own initiative, and on the basis of his positive contribution to society.”
Funeral services were conducted on June 10 at St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, with interment at St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Syracuse’s Lesia Ukrainka School of Ukrainian Studies (checks may be made payable to “Ridna Shkola”). Contributions may also be made to the St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church Roof Fund.