Fedun, Jaroslaw, 88 of Clifton, New Jersey passed away peacefully at home on August 4, 2019 surrounded by his family. Jaroslaw was the son of the late Ivan and Sydonia Fedun; brother of the late Orest and Levko; beloved husband of 63 years to Luba (Iwanczuk); loving father to daughter Oresta with Adrian Pysariwsky; son Andrei with daughter-in-law Melissa; daughter Natalia with son-in-law Stefan; and proud grandfather of Adriana, Marko, Stefania and Maksym.
Jaroslaw was born in Lastiwky, Ukraine and immigrated to the United States after World War II. The devastation of the war left his family divided, his eldest brother Orest stayed in Ukraine and fought in the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. Jaroslaw and his parents were forced to leave Ukraine and ended up in displaced persons camps in Germany. He and his mother settled in New York after leaving his ailing father behind, not realizing they would never see each other again. As a young man he was an active member of the Ukrainian-American community - sang in the Dumka choir of NYC and was a member of Plast, the Ukrainian Scouting Organization and the scouting fraternity Orden Chrystonostiw. His love of life, song and the outdoors was fostered through scouting camps, jamborees and numerous events where he met his wife Luba. The couple married and lived in Astoria, NY and settled in Clifton, NJ in 1965 with their family. His deep desire to preserve his Ukrainian heritage coupled with the newly-found freedom in the USA motivated him to continue his education and immerse himself in the Ukrainian American community. He attended college at night and graduated from Rutgers University in 1976 sometimes holding three concurrent jobs to support his family - finally retiring from Hayward Manufacturing as a Materials Manager in 1997. His strong work ethic and love for Ukraine was instilled in his children and motivated him to remain active in the Ukrainian Community. He was a parishioner of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Passaic, NJ and of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Jewett, NY. As a former president and board member of the Self-Reliance Federal Credit Union (now NOVA), and former president of the Passaic chapter of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America he still maintained active membership in Plast where he once served as a scout leader and head of the Passaic chapter. Once Jaroslaw's dream of a free Ukraine was realized, he travelled there twelve times: searching for his brother's remains, joining the US delegation to observe Ukraine's first free elections, and helping to nurture a new Ukraine's democracy. Anyone who knew him, knew of his passion for his heritage, love for his family and pride in his children's and grandchildren's accomplishments.
Visiting hours on Thursday, August 8, 2019 from 2-4 PM and 7-9 PM at Marrocco Memorial Chapel - 470 Colfax Avenue, Clifton, NJ. Panakhyda service at 7:30 PM. The funeral services will be held on Friday, August 9, 2019 at 11 AM at St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, Rt 23A, Jewett, NY. Jaroslaw will be laid to rest in St. Francis De Sales Cemetery in Elka Park, NY. In Lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to * St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, Passaic, NJ (elevator fund), * St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, Jewett, NY, * Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU), Lviv, Ukraine, *American Cancer Society.
Make check payable to: St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church - in memo - elevator fund, Mail to: St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, 60 Holdsworth Court, Passaic, NJ 07013.
Make check payable to: St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church
Mail to: St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, P.O. Box 284, Hunter, NY 12442.
Make check payable to: Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation
Mail to: Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation, 2247 West Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622.