PARSIPPANY, N.J. – Orysia Paszczak Tracz, a well-known writer and activist who specialized in Ukrainian culture and ethnology, died suddenly on November 10 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She had been hospitalized briefly after suffering a stroke.
Ms. Tracz’s love and knowledge of Ukrainian traditions, ethnography and song were the essence of her spirit. A researcher, lecturer, translator and storyteller, her activities spanned the globe, from Australia, throughout Canada, the U.S. and Ukraine. An obituary in the Winnipeg Free Press noted that a local broadcaster had once called her “a walking, talking Ukrainian encyclopedia.”
She was born in 1945 in a displaced person’s camp in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, following World War II and her family’s escape to the West. She was raised in New Jersey, where she was a member of the Ukrainian American Youth Association. She majored in political science at George Washington University in the U.S. capital and was active in the university’s Ukrainian Students’ Club.
She met her husband, Myroslaw, at the Soyuzivka Heritage Center in upstate New York. They married in 1967. Arriving in Winnipeg in 1968, the Traczes found a city where they were able to raise their children in a community that embraced Ukrainian culture.
Ms. Tracz worked as a library assistant at the University of Manitoba in 1968-1978 and 1988-2010. She worked in Special Collections (which included the Slavic Collection), in archives and in collections management. In 2006 she curated “An Extraordinary Richness: The Works of Jacques Hnizdovsky in Private Collections” at the University of Manitoba’s Elizabeth Dafoe Library.
She was active in a number of community organizations as a board member and/or volunteer, including Oseredok Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Center, Prosvita Reading Society, Alpha Omega Alumnae and the Winnipeg Library Foundation. She was a member and volunteer of the Manitoba Writers’ Guild. She also taught at the local school of Ukrainian studies and answered the call of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization and the Ukrainian Youth Association whenever they needed an expert on Ukrainian traditions.
Most recently, she was able to channel her energy into her passion for books and telling the story of the rich and ancient Ukrainian heritage. Last year, she published “The First Star I See Tonight,” a collection of her articles on Ukrainian Christmas traditions – the first of what was to be many books on why Ukrainians do “The Things We Do.” That was the name of her column in The Ukrainian Weekly, which readers enjoyed for many years.
Ms. Tracz translated 10 books from Ukrainian into English and wrote numerous articles for Canadian and American publications. She was the researcher for the internationally recognized award-winning film “Pysanka” by Slavko Nowytski. After she retired from the University of Manitoba Libraries in 2010, she presented lectures at the McNally-Robinson Booksellers Community Classrooms in Winnipeg and led an annual folk art and culture tour to Ukraine.
In 2011, Ms. Tracz gathered personal stories and reflections for a commemorative book for the Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble’s 50th anniversary.
She was accepted into the Humber College Creative Writing Course in October 2014, and was awarded the Kobzar Scholarship through the Shevchenko Foundation. She received the Osvita Foundation 2013 Award (Manitoba).
Ms. Tracz recently became the recipient of two major Ukrainian Canadian awards: the provincial Bulava Award in Manitoba and the national Taras Shevchenko Medal awarded by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC). On September 25, the UCC Manitoba Provincial Council recognized her for “outstanding leadership in the Ukrainian community.” On October 1, at the XXV triennial Congress of Ukrainian Canadians held in Regina, Saskatchewan, Ms. Tracz was awarded the Shevchenko Medal “for outstanding national contribution to the cultural and artistic development of the Ukrainian Canadian community.”
She is survived by her husband, Myroslaw; her three sons, Boyan, Dobryan and Ruslan; her sister, Nusia Denysyk (Oleh); nephew, Ruslan (Kristin); nieces Dara (Will) and Lana (Mike); and grandnieces Clara and Evelyn. She was predeceased by her parents, Sofia Mazepa and Wasyl, and her elder sister, Lesia.
A prayer service was held at Holy Eucharist Parish on Monday, November 14. It was Ms. Tracz’s wish that all participants wear “vyshyvanky” (Ukrainian embroidered shirts). In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are requested to be made to the Canadian Ukrainian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko (https://shevchenkofoundation.com/).
In Ms. Tracz’s honor, flags at the University of Manitoba were flown at half-staff.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) expressed its deep sorrow on the passing of Ms. Tracz. “We have lost a truly exceptional and inspiring community leader. Mrs. Paszczak Tracz’s dedication and passion for our culture, traditions and heritage was unparalleled,” stated Paul Grod, national president of the UCC. “Her work and commitment greatly enriched Ukrainian life in Canada and beyond.”
Ihor Michalchyshyn, chief executive officer of the UCC, commented: “Having grown up in Winnipeg, I will always remember Pani Orysia’s warmth, enthusiasm and humor. She always readily shared her deep wealth of knowledge about our traditions, history and culture, and was a tireless advocate for all things Ukrainian.”