Rev. olexa Harbuziuk Legacy
Пастор олекса Романович Гарбузюк
Nadia Ivanova succumbs to cancer at age 54
Nadzieja “Nadia” Harbus (Надія Гарбуз), a former member of the First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church in Philadelphia, went to be with her Lord in heaven on Thursday, October 13, 2022.
Sister Harbus passed away in St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, at the age of 93.
Nadia was born in Poland and grew up there. She also had resided in Brazil and Philadelphia, before eventually settling in Langhorne.
She was known as “Mom” by everyone who knew her. She loved to knit.
Condolences are expressed to her four daughters, Ruth, Kathryn, Elizabeth and Olga; a son, Paul; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; a brother, Ted Waniuk; and two sisters, Olga Waniuk and Vera Homula..
Sister Harbus was preceded in death by her parents, Maksym and Harityna Waniuk; her husband, Peter Harbus Sr.; and sons Peter Jr. and George.
The funeral service and interment will be private.
Anna Dedukh leaves Earth to meet her Savior
Peter Kowalik, a member of the Ukrainian Baptist Church in North Port, Florida, went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Monday, August 29, 2022.
Brother Kowalik, age 90, was born August 5, 1932 in Telatyn, Poland, but lived most of his life in Ukraine. He moved in 1989 to America, where he became one of the founders of the Slavic Baptist Church of Syracuse, NY.
Condolences are expressed to his wife, two daughters. two sons, 18 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren and other relatives.
A funeral service will be held Saturday, September 3, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Lemon Bay Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Englewood, FL.
Frank Machnik enters his eternal rest
Irene Jankowski Umen goes to be with her Lord
Steven Bolechowski, who attended the First Ukrainian Baptist Church of Minneapolis in his early years, died January 15, 2022 in Minneapolis at age 73.
He was born in Frille, West Germany, then immigrated to the United States in 1949 with his parents and sister. He served in the U.S. Army and earned the U.S. Commendation Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with three Bronze Stars, Vietnam Campaign Ribbon and Expert Badge Machine Gun with Rifle Bar. He graduated with a bachelor's degree from Pillsbury Baptist College.
He loved to travel throughout the United States and Canada and also took trips to Ukraine and the Holy Land.
Condolences are expressed to two sons, three sisters, two brothers and other relatives. Commemoration services were held January 21. Interment was at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.
Nadezhda "Nadia" Ivanova (Надежда Іванова), a former member of the Ukrainian Baptist Church of Chicago, died October 22, 2022, after a battle with cancer.
She was 54 years old. Nadia was born in Zhitomir, Ukraine, and immigrated to Chicago in the 1990s.
Condolences are expressed to her sister, Yelena Ishchuk; her brother Peter, who is the lead pastor at the Ukrainian Baptist Church of Chicago; her twin brother Aleksandr; and other relatives.
A divine liturgy will be held Tuesday, October 25, at 10 a.m. at Holy Virgin Protection Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Des Plaines, followed by burial in Elmwood Cemetery in River Grove.
William Brych enters his eternal rest at age 94
Adam Szturma enters his heavenly home at 51
Michael Bochnewych (Михайло Бочневич), who attended the Ukrainian Baptist Church of Chicago during his childhood, passed into eternity on Sunday, November 6, 2022.
Brother Bochnewych was 69 years old. He is remembered as a gentle and tender-hearted person.
Michael graduated in 1971 from Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, Illinois.
As an adult, Brother Bochnewych was a member of the Ukrainian Christian Pentecostal Church in Bensenville, Illinois.
He worked at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago as a program advisor for many years until he retired in January 2019. He also worked part-time as a barber.
Mike moved to the Fort Lauderdale area in Florida nearly three years ago.
Condolences are expressed to his sister, Lydia King; brother-in-law, Denny King; niece, Emily King; and other relatives.
Those listed were members or former members of Ukrainian Baptist churches in the United States and Canada, or others who had a connection to those churches. If you have information that you would like to share, please send an email to aharbuziuk@gmail.com
Mike Bochnewych graduates to heavenly home
William "Bill" Brych (Василь Брич), a member of Cornerstone Church in Parma, Ohio [formerly Ukrainian Baptist Church of Cleveland], died on October 13, 2022. He was 94 years old.
Brother Brych was also a former member of the Ukrainian Baptist Church of Chicago, where he sang in the choir and played the mandolin in the string orchestra.
He was born in Ukraine and went with his family to Germany during World War II. The family immigrated to Canada in 1950.
Brother Brych was married to his wife, Bozena (Betty), for 53 years.
Visitation was held Sunday, October 16, at Jardine Funeral Home in Strongsville, Ohio. The funeral was held Monday, October 17. Burial was in Strongsville Cemetery.
Condolences are expressed to his wife, two daughters, six grandchildren, a sister and other relatives.
Anna Melnyk (Анна Мельник), a member of the Ukrainian Baptist Church in Santa Barbara, California, left this earth to be with the Lord on October 10, 2022.
Sister Melnyk was two months short of her 100th birthday. She was born in Ukraine and immigrated to America in 1949.
She was a member of the Ukrainian Baptist Church in Irvington, New Jersey, for many years before moving to California.
Condolences are expressed to her son, Jerry, and other relatives. Her husband, Dmytro, died in January 2009.
Ria Kutcher-Gyra, an original member of the Ukrainian Baptist Church in Toronto, Canada, died Sunday, January 9, 2022.
Sister Kutcher-Gyra, who was 90 years old, died peacefully at the Chartwell Brant Long Term Care Center in Burlington Ontario.
She was born in Dovhiv, Ukraine, but ended up in a refugee camp in Germany during World War II. The family later made its way to Canada.
As her son Victor posted: "Mom, her brother Alex Osborne, and her parents, Mary and Paul Osypowich, were stalwarts at the Ukrainian Baptist Church on Tecumseth" Street. The Toronto church was established in 1950.
Condolences are expressed to her three sons, Dr. Stanley Kutcher, Dr. Victor Kutcher and Dr. Walter Kutcher, and their wives; eight grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; her youngest brother, David; and other relatives. Her first husband died in a traffic accident in 1975. Her second husband died in 2014.
Sister Kutcher-Gyra will be cremated, and a celebration of life program is planned for the summer.
Frank Machnik 1961
Vera Prot (Віра Протaсовіцька), a former member of the Ukrainian Baptist Church of Chicago, died on Wednesday, November 23, 2022.
Sister Prot was 74 years old.
A funeral service for Sister Prot was held Tuesday, November 29, at Knollcrest Funeral Home in Lombard.
Interment was in Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside.
Condolences are expressed to her husband, Grigoriy; a daughter and son-in-law, Tanya and Vitaliy Golubok; two grandsons, Alex and David; and other relatives.
Arms of Jesus embrace Zenia Kovalchuk
Petr Konshin, a former member of the Ukrainian Baptist Church of Chicago, died January 26, 2022, of complications from Covid-19.
Petr, who was 35 years old, was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine. His family immigrated to the United States in 1998.
He married Lyudmila Voropayeva in 2007. They had three sons. Lyudmila is expecting their fourth child in May. Petr also is survived by his parents.
He was a member of the Ukrainian Baptist Church for about three years in 2012 to 2015.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, February 1, at Bucaro Funeral Home in Bloomingdale, followed by interment at Wheaton Cemetery.
Julia Batycki (Юлія Батицька), a former member of the First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church of Philadelphia and a former member of the Ukrainian Baptist Church of Philadelphia, died on Sunday, January 23, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Sister Batycki, who was 87 years old, was born in Brazil in the state of Parana as Julia Vinhar. She was a third generation Ukrainian in Brazil.
She married Osyp Batycki in 1951. They immigrated to America in 1961.
There was a time when Sister Batycki was active in the ladies group at church and sang in the church choir.
Condolences are expressed to her three daughters, Lidia, Irene and Julie; three sons, Nelson, Pedro and David; grandchildren and other relatives. Her first husband, Osyp, died in 1986. Her second husband also died. The funeral was private.
More obituaries may be found on the "Deaths in 2021" page, the "Deaths in 2020" page, the "Deaths in 2019" page, the "Deaths in 2018" page, the "Deaths in 2017" page, the "Deaths in 2016" page, the "Deaths 2012-2015" page and the "Deaths Before 2012" page.
Zenia Kovalchuk (Євгенія Ковальчук), a former member of several Ukrainian Baptist churches, went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Saturday, June 11, 2022, at the age of 78.
She had been residing in an assisted living facility in Texas.
Sister Zenia was born in Paraguay as Євгенія Хрипчук on June 25, 1943. She graduated from the Ukrainian Bible Institutе in Argentina.
Sister Kovalchuk was a member of churches where her husband served as pastor or assistant pastor, including the First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church of Philadelphia, the Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church in Crum Lynne, Pennsylvania, the Ukrainian Baptist Church (2nd) in Philadelphia, the Ukrainian Baptist Church in Winnipeg, Canada, and churches in Paraguay.
She was married for 53 years to Rev. John Kovalchuk, until he died in 2017.
Condolences are expressed to her son, Moses; daughter, Pearl; grandchildren and siblings.
A celebration of life service is scheduled for Tuesday, June 28, from 11 to 11:45 a.m. at the First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church in Philadelphia, 9610 Northeast Avenue. Afterward, a luncheon will be served in the church's fellowship hall, including a time for sharing memories.
Alex Tanchuk (Александер Танчук), a member of Grace Ukrainian Baptist Church in Warminster, Pennsylvania, died suddenly of a massive heart attack on Monday, May 9, 2022, in Georgia.
Brother Tanchuk served as a deacon in that church and also sang in the choir for a while. He sometimes translated songs from English into Ukrainian.
Deacon Tanchuk, who was 68 years old, was born in Lviv, Ukraine, on November 12, 1953. He immigrated to America in 1994, arriving first in Trenton, New Jersey.
A funeral service will be held Saturday, May 14, at 10 a.m. at Flanigan Funeral Home in Buford, Georgia. Officiating will be Rev. Sergio Sauchuk, pastor of Grace Ukrainian Baptist Church. A reception will follow at New Life Church in Suwanee, Georgia.
Condolences are expressed to his wife, Larisa; two daughters; grandchildren; a brother, Vitaliy; and other relatives.
Myroslava Borsuk (Мирослава Борсук), a member of Spring of Life Ukrainian Baptist Church of Sacramento, California (church building is in Orangevale), passed away Friday, December 30, 2022.
Sister Borsuk was 62 years old.
A memorial service will be held Friday, January 6, 2023, at 7 p.m. at the church.
The funeral will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 7, followed by interment at Sylvan Cemetery in Citrus Heights.
Condolences are expressed to her family and relatives.
Heaven's gates welcome Julia Batycki at age 87
Covid-19 claims life of Petr Konshin at age 35
Ria Kutcher-Gyra enters her heavenly home
Maria Paprockyj (Марія Папроцька), a member for many decades of the First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church of Philadelphia, went to be with her Lord and Savior on August 29, 2022.
She was 99 years old. She would have been 100 on December 16.
Sister Paprockyj's husband, Rev. Jaroslaw, was the founding pastor of the Philadelphia church in 1954. He died in 2006.
She is remembered for her hospitality during those years as many pastors and other visitors ate or stayed overnight at their home.
Sister Paprockyj had been residing at an assisted living facility for a few years.
Condolences are expressed to her sons, Don and Eugene, three grandchildren and other relatives.
The funeral will be held Saturday, September 10 at 9:30 a.m. at Goldstein Funeral Home in Southampton, Pennsylvania.
Zinaida "Zina" Szczerbiak, who was a 40-year member of the Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church in Toronto, Canada, died July 15, 2022. She was 96 years old.
She and her husband were heavily involved in the Toronto church. In retirement, they moved to the Ukrainian Bible Camp and joined the Ukrainian Baptist Church there.
Sister Zinaida was born in a village in Ukraine. After World War II, she ended up in Manchester, England, where she married.Michael. Then they immigrated to Canada. Her husband died in 2011.
A funeral was held July 23. Condolences are expressed to her four daughters, grandchildren and other relatives.
Anna Melnyk passes on to heaven at age 99
William Halych, from gang member to church
William "Bill" Halych (Василь Галич), a former member of the Ukrainian Baptist Church of Chicago, died Tuesday, December 27, 2022.
Bill was 76 years old.
As a teenager, Bill was a gang member on the rough streets of Chicago. But then he started attending the Ukrainian Baptist Church at the urging of his father, who had joined recently. He turned his life around and was baptized in 1966. Then he fell in love with the beautiful Nadia Bereza, and they were married April 25, 1970.
Brother Halych was active in the local youth group as well as the national youth group, having served as vice president and president of the Ukrainian Baptist Youth Association in the USA.
He also attended Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, Pennsylvania, and, after returning to Chicago, he preached at youth programs in church and was named assistant to the pastor.
Brother Halych had been living in Santa Barbara, California, for about 17 years.
Condolences are expressed to Nadia, his wife of 52 years; two daughters, grandchildren, a brother and other relatives.
A funeral service is scheduled for Thursday, January 5, 2023, at 11 a.m. at Welch-Ryce-Haider Funeral Chapel in Santa Barbara. Officiating will be Michael Boys, lead pastor of Calvary Baptist Church. Burial will be at 1 p.m. at Santa Barbara Cemetery.
Nadezhda Bondarenko enters heaven's gates
Maria Paprockyj changes address to heaven
Deacon Alex Tanchuk is in his heavenly abode
Nadezhda “Nadya” Bondarenko, a member of the Ukrainian House of Gospel in Richland, New Jersey, passed away on February 6, 2022.
Sister Bondarenko, who was 82 years old, was born in Ukraine and grew up there..
Services were held at the church and at Pancoast Funeral Home in Vineland, New Jersey. Burial was in Siloam Cemetery.
Condolences are expressed to her relatives.
Jesus beckons Nadzieja Harbus to heaven
Myroslava Borsuk enters her eternal rest
Jozef Biszko (Йосип Біжко), a longtime member of the First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church of Minneapolis, passed away on July 14, 2022 in Coon Rapids, Minnesota.
Brother Biszko was 85 years old. He was born in Rava Ruska, Ukraine, on March 1, 1937 and came to America in the autumn of 1985. He joined the Minneapolis church the next year.
He leaves behind his wife, Alicja; two sons:
Martin and his wife Linda and their two sons, Michael and Mirek; Mirek and his wife Iryna and their two sons, Samuel and Lukas; and relatives in Poland and Ukraine.
Condolences are expressed to his family.
Anna Dedukh (Анна Дідух), a member of the Ukrainian Baptist Church in North Port, Florida, died on Tuesday, March 22, 2022.
Sister Dedukh was 81 years old. She was born on November 7, 1940, in Ukraine.
Before moving to Florida in 2005, she was a member of the First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church of Philadelphia.
A graveside service was held March 28 at Gulf Pines Memorial Park in Englewood, Florida.
Condolences are expressed to her husband, Eustace Dedukh (Євстафій Дідух), and their daughter.
Irene in 2014
Obituaries 2022 /
Посмертні згадки
Irene as a young woman. (Thanks to Joe Yakimow for providing this photo.)
Peter Kowalik enters heaven's gates at age 90
Adam Szturma, whose father founded the Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church in Vineland, New Jersey, died February 9, 2022.
Brother Szturma, who was 51, was living with his parents and caring for them when he died at home.
His father, Rev. Boguslaw Szturma, is now honorary pastor at the church, which he founded in 1983.
Adam attended Word of Life Bible College and Liberty University, where he received a bachelor's degree.
Services were held at the church and at the Pancoast Funeral Home, followed by burial in Siloam Cemetery.
Condolences are expressed to his parents, two sisters, two brothers and other relatives.
Frank Machnik, who was a longtime member of the Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church in Toronto, Canada, passed away February 13, 2022.
Earlier, he had been a member of the Ukrainian Baptist Church in Winnipeg, Canada.
Brother Machnik was born in Ukraine and came to Canada after World War II with his parents and siblings.
Condolences are expressed to his family.
Irene (Jankowski) Umen, a former member of the Ukrainian Baptist Church of Chicago and the First Ukrainian Baptist Church of Minneapolis, died on Saturday, July 2, 2022.
Sister Umen was 84 years old.
Irene graduated from Tuley High School in Chicago. She worked as a lab technician for the University of Minnesota for more than 30 years.
In her later years, she had been living in a nursing home in Wisconsin.
Condolences are expressed to her children, grandchildren and other relatives.