Oksana (nee Haftkowycz) Kuzma

Devoted wife and mother. Musician. Educator. She was a creative force in the Ukrainian-American community.

Born in Lviv, Ukraine; left Ukraine with her parents and sister Nadia in 1944; lived in a refugee camp in Mittenwald, Germany after the war; died peacefully at her home in Wethersfield.

Married for 57 years to her late husband Orest Kuzma (d. 2011) Parishioner at St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Hartford where she sang with the church choir “Dibrova”; long-time teacher at St Michael’s Ukrainian Studies School and paraprofessional at E. B. Kennelly School; Studied voice and piano at the Hartt School of Music. Sang with the Hartford Chorale and the Dumka Ukrainian Choir of New

York City. She was a talented writer, singer, pianist, gracious hostess, confidante, beloved mother, grandmother, aunt and sister. Co-founder of the Cheremshyna Women’s Vocal Ensemble. Active supporter of her church and passionate promoter of Ukrainian language and culture.

She is survived by three children: Alexander B. Kuzma and his wife Irene Kytasty Kuzma of Glastonbury; Daria Juergensen and her husband Peter Juergensen of Cheshire; Dr. Marika Kuzma, professor of Music at the University of California - Berkeley; her sister Nadia Haftkowycz; and five grandchildren: Anneliese and Dr. Stephan Juergensen; Alina, Teryn and Maya Kuzma. Her extended family includes sister-in-law Melanie Kuzma, cousins Irene Krasij and her husband Myron; Motria Koropecky, Boris Krupa and Claire Loiselle, many nieces and nephews, and her devoted caretaker: Galyna Tereshkevych.

Memorial donations can be made to the Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation, 2247 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622; or St.Michael’s Ukrainian Studies School, 135 Wethersfield Avenue, Hartford, CT 06114.

Visiting hours will be held on Monday, November 2nd from 4 to 7 p.m. with a Panakhyda Service following at 7 p.m., at the D’Esopo Funeral Chapel at 277 Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield. A funeral liturgy will be held on Tuesday, November 3rd at 10:00 a.m. at St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church at 135 Wethersfield Avenue in Hartford. The burial will follow at St. Michael's Ukrainian Cemetery, Glastonbury. For online expressions of sympathy to the family, please visit www.desopo.com.