Jaroslaw Roman Kiciuk will be forever remembered as a loving husband, devoted father, grandfather and a great friend to those who knew him. He leaves behind his wife, six children, nine grandchildren, and a legacy that will never be forgotten.
Life was not always easy for Jaroslaw. He was born in Kolomyia, Ukraine in 1923. His family moved to Lviv when he was six months old. When he was seventeen, his father died and his mother was left to raise four children on her own. During the Nazi occupation of Ukraine, Jaroslaw, at the age of twenty, joined the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), fighting for Ukraine’s independence against Russian and Nazi occupiers. After the war, a group of freedom fighters was sent West to inform the free world about Ukraine’s struggle for independence. They traveled by foot, mostly at night. It took them four months to reach the American zone in Germany. There, in Berchtesgaden, he found his family in a Displaced Persons (DP) camp. He was shocked to see that his mother’s hair had turned completely white in the four years that he had not seen her.
In the early 1950’s Jaroslaw, his mother, and his two sisters made the boat trip to America. Little did he know then that it would take 50 years before he would see his brother Julian who stayed behind in Ukraine, and whom he had not seen since joining the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in 1943. With the Iron Curtain closing and the onset of the Cold War, even communication by mail was risky. The Soviet Union labeled anyone who wanted an independent Ukraine “an enemy of the people”.
Jaroslaw, or Slavko as he was known, met his wife of 65 years, Maria Kocur, at St. George’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in New York City. They married, raised six children and the entire Kiciuk family became active members of the Ukrainian community. Jaroslaw established roots in the community as soon as he came to America. He was one of the earliest members of the SUMA Yonkers Federal Credit Union, worked there for many years, and served on the Board of Directors from its inception in 1964 until 2006.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it became possible for Jaroslaw to travel to Ukraine. In 1992, a year after Ukraine declared its independence, a trip commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army was organized. Jaroslaw, at age 69, along with two of his daughters, made the emotional trip to visit his homeland, Ukraine, and meet up with his brother Julian and some of his childhood friends.
Jaroslaw was known in the community as a hard worker who was devoted to his family. At times, he worked three jobs in order to make ends meet. He was talented in art and music, teaching himself to play the guitar and tune pianos. Jaroslaw made beautiful, intricate wood carvings and artful decorations for Ukrainian events, many of which are still on display today. He was also an avid sportsman and an excellent chess player, winning many tournaments. Jaroslaw was also known for his sharp wit and used his keen sense of humor in good times and in bad. Even toward the end of his life, he continued to joke and make us all laugh.
While family and friends are saddened by the loss of Jaroslaw, all are grateful that he lived a long and fulfilling life and that they were fortunate to share it with him.
Jaroslaw Kiciuk is survived by his wife Maria (nee Kocur),
Children: Oksana Kulynych, Lesia Shchur (Lubomyr), Sonia Smith (Gary), Natalie Berdin (Greg),
Jaroslaw Kiciuk (Michelle), Marta Shevchik (Andrew)
Grandchildren: Taras and Ksenia Kulynych, Stefan and Damian Shchur, Gregory and Andrew Smith, Yuliana Berdin, Natalia and Michael Shevchik, many nieces and nephews in the U.S. and Ukraine.
Brothers-in-law: Joseph Ivanick, Theodor Kocur
He was predeceased by his siblings Julian, Iryna, and Olga, and by his granddaughter Tatiana Shchur.
Visitation will be held on Friday, August 24, 2018 from 5:00 - 9:00 pm with panakhyda at 7:30 at Whalen and Ball Funeral Home in Yonkers, NY. The Funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, August 25, 2018 at 9:30 am in St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, Yonkers, NY followed by burial services at Holy Spirit Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery, Campbell Hall, NY.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:
United Ukrainian American Relief Committee (UUARC) for the humanitarian needs of the Ukrainian Army. Checks may be mailed to: UUARC, 1206 Cottman Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19111 Please indicate on check memo “UA IMO Jaroslaw Kiciuk”
or to
St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church at 21 Shonnard Pl, Yonkers, NY 10703
Partager l'avis de décès
v.1.9.5