Halyna Hawryluk

Halyna Hawryluk, 94, formerly of Jersey City, passed away peacefully on July 11, 2017, at Brookdale Westampton Memory Care. Born October 23, 1922, in Vilshany, Ukraine, to Yukhym and Maria (Khylko) Kostiuk, she survived both the Holodomor (famine-genocide) (1932-33) and four years as a slave laborer in Nazi Germany (1941-45). A trained nurse, she met her husband Wasyl (deceased 1990) in a Displaced Persons camp; they emigrated to the U.S. in late 1949 and settled in Jersey City, where they raised two daughters. She retired from the service industry in 1987. A very active member of the Ukrainian community for 60 years, she co-founded and served on the Parents Committees of the Ukrainian language school (Ridna Shkola) and the local chapter of the Ukrainian American Youth Association (SUM), and was also secretary of Branch 170 of the Ukrainian National Association. As long-time president and board member of Branch 71 of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, she was instrumental in organizing numerous exhibits in Hudson County celebrating Ukrainian culture and history. She was also a very involved member of Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church where she served as Trustee.

Halyna leaves behind devoted daughters Maria (Sydney) Gordon and Lidia (Oleksij) Kerekesha, and her beloved grandson Andrew, and family members in Kyiv and Stara Huta, Ukraine, and Rome, Italy.

Liturgy will be held on Saturday, July 15, 2017, 12:00pm at St. Andrew Memorial Church, 280 Main St., South Bound Brook, N.J. 08880.  Interment will follow behind the church in St. Andrew Memorial Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, friends are asked to contribute to The Ukrainian Museum, 222 E. 6th St., New York 10003 (www.ukrainianmuseum.org) or the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org).