During 2017 our community mourned the passing of many of its prominent members: artists, church leaders, soldiers and community activists. Among them were the following, listed in order of their passing.
Zynowij Kwit, 94, Blacksburg, Va.; born in Pomoryany, Ukraine, he was as a freedom figher against the Soviets on the eastern front of World War II; a chemist until age 50, he completed his masters in Slavic languages at Case Western University; completed coursework at the University of Pennsylvania towards his Ph.D. in Ukrainian; he taught four languages, including Ukrainian, and chemistry at Bodine High School for International Affairs in Philadelphia for a decade; in 1981 organized the Ukrainian World Association of Professional Educators, unifying Ukrainian teachers from all over the world – November 28, 2016.
Dr. Lubomir Jawny, 79, Florham Park, N.J.; born in Pidhaitsi, Ukraine, and immigrated to the United States in 1950, earning his M.D. from Georgetown Medical School; opened a medical practice that grew into North Arlington Cardiology Associates; was a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, was on staff at St. Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, West Hudson Hospital in Kearny, St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston and Clara Maass Hospital in Belleville – January 25.
Bohdan Boychuk, 89, Kyiv; born in Berdnyky, Ternopil region; immigrated to the United States in 1949; active member of the Ukrainian diaspora in New York: one of the founders of a New York group of poets; a writer, playwright, literary critic and translator into and from foreign languages of works of other writers; former editor of Suchasnist – February 10.
Bohdan Kazaniwsky, 101; as a leading member of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, served time as a political prisoner in both Polish and Bolshevik prisons; part of the post-World War II emigration through Austria to the United States – April 1.
Mychail Newmerzyckyj, 62, Totowa, N.J.; possessing a beautiful bass voice, he was a choir member and soloist with many groups, including the St. Andrew Memorial Church Choir (South Bound Brook, N.J.), St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church Choir (Passaic, N.J.), Promin Vocal Ensemble (New York), Homin Stepiv Bandura Ensemble (New York), Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus (Detroit), Ukrainian Chorus Dumka (New York) and the Millenium Choir, organized by Volodymyr Kolesnyk to record Bortniansky’s 35 choral concertos; also sang lead roles with the Bronx Opera Company and the NJ State Repertory Opera – April 6.
Peter Pytel, 92, Williams Bay, Wisc.; born in Ternopil Oblast, part of the post-World War II immigration to the U.S.; one of the founding members of the Ukrainian Country Club, now Ukrainian Village in Randall, Wisc.; founding member of the Ukrainian Concert Band; secretary for over 50 years of the Ukrainian National Association Branch 139 – April 10.
Lubomyr Wynar, 85, Woodstock, Ga.; born in Lviv and part of the post-World War II wave of displaced persons and immigrants to the U.S., he studied history at the Ludwig Maximilians University and the Ukrainian Free University in Munich; earned a diploma in archival studies and library science at Case Western Reserve University; worked at a number of American universities, among them Kent State in Ohio, where he founded and was director of the Center for the Study of Ethnic Publications; author of more than 2,000 academic studies, including 37 books that he wrote and another 48 that he edited; founder and longtime editor of the scholarly journal Ukrainian Historian – April 16.
Maria Oharenko, 66, Redondo Beach, Ca.; born in post-World War II Belgium and grew up in Chicago, earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Northwestern University; served as a public relations professional for he U.S. Department of Energy in Washington during the 1970s and later at Northrop Grumman in Los Angeles – April 25.
Zbigniew Brzezinski, 89; Polish-American diplomat and political scientist; one of the first historians to offer a formal definition of totalitarianism, especially in regard to the USSR; foreign policy advisor to President Lyndon Johnson (1966-1968) and national security advisor to President Jimmy Carter (1977-1981); vocal supporter of anti-Soviet dissidents and of independent Ukraine – May 26.
Daria Rychtyckyj, 88, Detroit; poet who published seven collections of her poems – May 26.
Cardinal Lubomyr Husar
Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, 84, Kyiv; former primate of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church; part of the post-World War II emigration, he was educated in the U.S. and Rome, where earned a doctorate in 1972; consecrated a bishop in 1977 by Patriarch and Cardinal Josyf Slipyj; returned to Ukraine after the collapse of the Soviet Union to serve as spiritual director of the newly re-established Holy Spirit Seminary in Lviv; established a new Studite monastery near Ternopil in 1994; named a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in February, 2001; first chancellor of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv; remained active in the ecclesial and social life of Ukraine even after his retirement in February 2011 due to poor health – May 31.
Sofia (Sonia) Semanyshyn, 60, Kerhonson, N.Y.; devoted employee of Soyuzivka Heritage Center since 1988, well-known to all of Soyuzivka’s guests in her many roles through the years, from office manager to billing and accounting manager; local community activist who gave of her time to her parish and the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America branch – June 16.
Dave Semenko, 59; former Edmonton Oilers player; the Winnipeg native won two Stanley Cups in 1984 and 1985 with the Oilers, playing alongside Wayne Gretzky and other Ukrainian players; played for seven seasons with Edmonton before playing for the Hartford Whalers and the Toronto Maple Leafs, retiring in 1988; known as a fierce competitor, loyal teammate and fan favorite – June 29.
Dr. Eugene Fedorenko, 89, Morris Plains, N.J.; born in the Kharkiv region, he endured the Holodomor, forced labor in Germany, displaced persons camps; educated at universities in Belgium and New York (Fordham and NYU); known for his decades-long involvement in the Ridna Shkola system of Ukrainian schools, first as a teacher and then as principal in Whippany, N.J., and in 1983-2017 as head of the UCCA’s Educational Council; author of numerous articles and textbooks, editor of the “Ridna Shkola” journal (1878-2016); founder of the Ukrainian school teachers’ summer conferences at Soyuzivka – August 1.
Taras Dobusz
Taras Dobusz, 66, Bridgewater, N.J.; graduated from the Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning in 1974, eventually beginning his own architectural practice; inspired by the love of his Ukrainian heritage, he specialized in designing Ukrainian churches, and his work includes: St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, Whippany, N.J.; St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church, Hillsborough, N.J.; St. Anne’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, Warrington, Pa.; St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, Campbell Hall, N.Y.; and Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church, Mt. Carmel, Pa.; he also designed the Ukrainian American Cultural Center of New Jersey in Whippany, and camp facilities for the Ukrainian American Youth Association property in Ellenville, N.Y. – August 8.
Osyp Zinkewych
Osyp Zinkewych, 92, Ellicott City, Md.; served as a courier in the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists; studied in Paris after World War II before immigrating to the U.S.; founder and driving force behind Smoloskyp, an organizaion dedicated to supporting dissidents challenging the Soviet Empire by bringing their writings to the West and publishing them, amplifying their voices with media attention and political support from city councils to Congress; after independence, moved to Kyiv, where he opened the Smoloskyp center in Ukraine, and organized an annual literary competition for young authors; under his leadership Smoloskyp published more than 500 books, hundreds of which were by authors and on topics banned in Soviet Ukraine – September 18.
Boshena Olshaniwsky, 81, Dover, N.J.; part of the post-World War II immigration, she was a registered nurse with a 30-year career with AT&T and its various subsidiaries; since the 1970s, was active in community affairs, including letter writing campaigns, lobbying efforts and petition drives in defense of political prisoners, trafficking of women, aid to children’s hospitals and environmental issues in Soviet and post-Soviet Ukraine; she took over the reins as president of Americans for Human Rights in Ukraine; in 1996 she was invited to the White House, where she received a humanitarian award from President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore – October 1.
Prof. Natalia Pazuniak
Prof. Natalia Pazuniak, 95, Philadelphia; part of the post-World War II immigration, she earned graduate degrees at the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in Slavic languages and literatures; taught Ukrainian language and literature at the University of Pennsylvania (1963-1983), Manor College (1956-1968) and Macquarie University in Australia (1984-1987); a full member of the Shevchenko Scientific Society, the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in the U.S. and the Association of Ukrainian American University Professors; served as general secretary of the last Ukrainian government in exile until 1991, when Ukraine regained independence – October 12.
Wolodymyr Hnatkiwsky, 84; one of the founders of the Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization’s Vataha Burlakiv fraternity; longtime member of the Carpathian Ski Club, and the Ukrainian Institute of America – October 28.
The Rev. Dr. John Kovalchuk
The Rev. Dr. John Kovalchuk, 78, Trevose, Pa.; born in Argentina, immigrated to Canada in 1974; installed in 1983 as pastor of the Second Ukrainian Baptist Church in Philadelphia; served twice as president of the Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Convention in the U.S.A.; served as vice-president and president of the All-Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Fellowship (diaspora); received a Doctor of Ministry degree from Odessa International Theological Seminary in 1999 – December 19.
Johnny Bower, 93, Mississauga, Ontario; Hall of Fame goaltender who helped take the Toronto Maple Leafs to four Stanley Cup championships in the 1960s; the oldest full-time goalie in National Hockey League history, playing until the age of 45; selected by the NHL as one of the game’s top-15 goaltenders of all time – December 26.