In Celebration of
Jaroslaw Stech
February 28, 1932 - February 9, 2025
It is with a profound sense of loss and sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved tato (dad), dido (grandpa), and starenkyi dido (old grandpa, i.e. great-grandpa) Jaroslaw Stech. With his son Ihor, daughter Adrianna, and daughter-in-law Teresa by his side, Jaroslaw passed away peacefully at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Toronto in his 93rd year after a brief illness. Predeceased by his parents, Ivan and Khrystyna, sisters Maria and Tekla, and brother, Hryhoriy (died in early infancy), Jaroslaw is survived by his wife of 66 years Anizia, sons Ihor (Teresa), Marko (Tania), daughter Adrianna (Anatoly) Oleksiyenko, four grandchildren, Zorian (Julia), Roksana (Orest) Sawka, Sophia, Daniel, as well as five great-grandchildren, Marta, Liliana, Lubomyr, Inessa, and Nadia. Left to mourn are also his nephew and nieces in Poland, Canada, and the United States as well as extended family in Ukraine and Germany.
Jaroslaw was born in the now non-existent village of Vilka-Verbytska, Poland, a mere two kilometers from the town of Uhniv in present-day Ukraine. Rain or shine, he would walk every day to Uhniv where he attended primary school. His happy childhood playing with his siblings and friends along the Solokiya River was shattered by the horrors of the Second World War and in 1947, Operation Vistula (Akcja Wisla), which saw over a hundred thousand Ukrainians forcibly resettled from the southeastern provinces of postwar Poland to the north and west of the country. After June 1947, Jaroslaw’s village was destroyed, any trace of its patriotic Ukrainian existence forever gone. As part of Operation Vistula, Jaroslaw and his family were resettled to the small village of Lelkowo in northern Poland.
Ambitious and determined, two underlying traits which always defined him, Jaroslaw enrolled in 1957 at the Taras Shevchenko University in Kyiv, which at that time was part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. For his anti-Soviet positions (he protested against studying Ukrainian literature in Russian and called on others to do the same), he was expelled in 1960, forbidden from taking up any other post-secondary studies in the Soviet Union or Poland and banned from entering the Soviet Union for a period of ten years.
Despite these setbacks, Jaroslaw’s life flourished in many other ways. In 1959, he married Anizia (née Putko), a young pediatrician and recent graduate of the Medical University of Gdansk. That same year, they welcomed their first son Ihor, followed in 1961 by their second son Marko, and in 1971, their daughter Adrianna. By 1961, the family was permanently based in the city of Peremyshl (Przemyśl), a city that would forever remain dear to Jaroslaw.
Jaroslaw and his family left Poland in 1981 and after spending some time in Austria, immigrated to Canada in 1982. In his adopted country, Jaroslaw worked for the now defunct Ukrainian Business Association (UBA) followed by the Toronto Catholic District School Board. On Saturday mornings, he taught Ukrainian literature and history courses at Yuri Lypa and the Ukrainian National Federation’s heritage schools.
In Canada, Jaroslaw saw his children marry and establish their own families. His grandchildren were his greatest pride and joy and he relished in all of their accomplishments. He loved to emphasize that all of his grandchildren, despite being born in Canada, spoke Ukrainian fluently and all had university degrees, something that he was able to achieve only in 1989 as a graduate of the Ukrainian Free University in Munich, Germany. Wherever life’s journeys took his grandchildren, be it Montreal, Lyon or Hong Kong, dido was always there. To top things off, his great-grandchildren were as he called them, his “tablespoons of honey.”
Following retirement in 1997, Jaroslaw often traveled to Peremyshl, a good starting point for exploring Ukraine. Whether it was to Ukraine or the scenic countryside around Peremyshl, his grandchildren loved being driven around in dido’s trusty green natural gas-powered Opel Corsa, as he regaled them with captivating stories and regional history. Jaroslaw also enjoyed traveling to where his village once stood and getting to see old friends in yearly get-togethers.
As a retiree, Jaroslaw’s favourite activity was to write. He would write articles on various topics pertaining to Ukrainian culture, literature, and history and was well-known in Ukrainian journalistic circles, both in Ukraine and the diaspora, earning him membership in the National Writers’ Union of Ukraine.
He also loved being surrounded by nature at the family cottage in Grafton, Ontario where he liked going on walks and always made sure that the bonfire was just the right size. He was without a doubt the person to ask for advice when it came to the garden and as the patriarch of our family, humbly gave advice on other matters as well. A man of strong faith, he was a long-time parishioner of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Toronto and loved to treat the entire family to a sandwich, coffee, and sweets in the parish hall after Sunday liturgy.
Although his passing leaves an immense void in our lives, Jaroslaw’s zest for life, infectious smile, unbreakable patriotism, determination, perseverance, and dedication to family will remain with us for the rest of our lives. He leaves behind a strong legacy that will forever be with us. We love you tato, dido, and starenkyi dido and are grateful for your long and beautiful life.
The family would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to all the doctors, nurses, and staff at St. Joseph’s Hospital and especially the incredible palliative care team. Many thanks to Father Boris Hemon for his prayers and visits and for administering the Last Rites.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks you to support Ukraine as it enters its fourth year of war. Please consider sending your donations directly to roksanastech.rsw@gmail.com to support a family member who is presently fighting in the 24th Mechanized Brigade (24-та окрема механізована бригада). All donations will be delivered directly to Marcin and his platoon. They are currently in need of drones and generators.
Alternatively, donations can be made to Istorychna Pravda (Історична правда), an independent Ukrainian online publication on sociology, history, and science, which Jaroslaw admired (https://www.istpravda.com.ua/donate/).
Visitation has been scheduled at Turner & Porter Yorke Chapel at 2357 Bloor Street West in Toronto for Friday, February 14 at 6-8 PM with the funeral mass taking place at the same location on Saturday, February 15 at 11 AM.
Вічна пам’ять! May his memory be eternal!
Jaroslaw was born in the now non-existent village of Vilka-Verbytska, Poland, a mere two kilometers from the town of Uhniv in present-day Ukraine. Rain or shine, he would walk every day to Uhniv where he attended primary school. His happy childhood playing with his siblings and friends along the Solokiya River was shattered by the horrors of the Second World War and in 1947, Operation Vistula (Akcja Wisla), which saw over a hundred thousand Ukrainians forcibly resettled from the southeastern provinces of postwar Poland to the north and west of the country. After June 1947, Jaroslaw’s village was destroyed, any trace of its patriotic Ukrainian existence forever gone. As part of Operation Vistula, Jaroslaw and his family were resettled to the small village of Lelkowo in northern Poland.
Ambitious and determined, two underlying traits which always defined him, Jaroslaw enrolled in 1957 at the Taras Shevchenko University in Kyiv, which at that time was part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. For his anti-Soviet positions (he protested against studying Ukrainian literature in Russian and called on others to do the same), he was expelled in 1960, forbidden from taking up any other post-secondary studies in the Soviet Union or Poland and banned from entering the Soviet Union for a period of ten years.
Despite these setbacks, Jaroslaw’s life flourished in many other ways. In 1959, he married Anizia (née Putko), a young pediatrician and recent graduate of the Medical University of Gdansk. That same year, they welcomed their first son Ihor, followed in 1961 by their second son Marko, and in 1971, their daughter Adrianna. By 1961, the family was permanently based in the city of Peremyshl (Przemyśl), a city that would forever remain dear to Jaroslaw.
Jaroslaw and his family left Poland in 1981 and after spending some time in Austria, immigrated to Canada in 1982. In his adopted country, Jaroslaw worked for the now defunct Ukrainian Business Association (UBA) followed by the Toronto Catholic District School Board. On Saturday mornings, he taught Ukrainian literature and history courses at Yuri Lypa and the Ukrainian National Federation’s heritage schools.
In Canada, Jaroslaw saw his children marry and establish their own families. His grandchildren were his greatest pride and joy and he relished in all of their accomplishments. He loved to emphasize that all of his grandchildren, despite being born in Canada, spoke Ukrainian fluently and all had university degrees, something that he was able to achieve only in 1989 as a graduate of the Ukrainian Free University in Munich, Germany. Wherever life’s journeys took his grandchildren, be it Montreal, Lyon or Hong Kong, dido was always there. To top things off, his great-grandchildren were as he called them, his “tablespoons of honey.”
Following retirement in 1997, Jaroslaw often traveled to Peremyshl, a good starting point for exploring Ukraine. Whether it was to Ukraine or the scenic countryside around Peremyshl, his grandchildren loved being driven around in dido’s trusty green natural gas-powered Opel Corsa, as he regaled them with captivating stories and regional history. Jaroslaw also enjoyed traveling to where his village once stood and getting to see old friends in yearly get-togethers.
As a retiree, Jaroslaw’s favourite activity was to write. He would write articles on various topics pertaining to Ukrainian culture, literature, and history and was well-known in Ukrainian journalistic circles, both in Ukraine and the diaspora, earning him membership in the National Writers’ Union of Ukraine.
He also loved being surrounded by nature at the family cottage in Grafton, Ontario where he liked going on walks and always made sure that the bonfire was just the right size. He was without a doubt the person to ask for advice when it came to the garden and as the patriarch of our family, humbly gave advice on other matters as well. A man of strong faith, he was a long-time parishioner of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Toronto and loved to treat the entire family to a sandwich, coffee, and sweets in the parish hall after Sunday liturgy.
Although his passing leaves an immense void in our lives, Jaroslaw’s zest for life, infectious smile, unbreakable patriotism, determination, perseverance, and dedication to family will remain with us for the rest of our lives. He leaves behind a strong legacy that will forever be with us. We love you tato, dido, and starenkyi dido and are grateful for your long and beautiful life.
The family would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to all the doctors, nurses, and staff at St. Joseph’s Hospital and especially the incredible palliative care team. Many thanks to Father Boris Hemon for his prayers and visits and for administering the Last Rites.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks you to support Ukraine as it enters its fourth year of war. Please consider sending your donations directly to roksanastech.rsw@gmail.com to support a family member who is presently fighting in the 24th Mechanized Brigade (24-та окрема механізована бригада). All donations will be delivered directly to Marcin and his platoon. They are currently in need of drones and generators.
Alternatively, donations can be made to Istorychna Pravda (Історична правда), an independent Ukrainian online publication on sociology, history, and science, which Jaroslaw admired (https://www.istpravda.com.ua/donate/).
Visitation has been scheduled at Turner & Porter Yorke Chapel at 2357 Bloor Street West in Toronto for Friday, February 14 at 6-8 PM with the funeral mass taking place at the same location on Saturday, February 15 at 11 AM.
Вічна пам’ять! May his memory be eternal!
Funeral Details
Show location:
Visitation
Turner & Porter - Yorke Chapel
2357 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON, M6S 1P4
Get Directions
Friday, 14 Feb 2025 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Info: Prayers at 7pm.
Funeral
Turner & Porter - Yorke Chapel
2357 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON, M6S 1P4
Get Directions
Saturday, 15 Feb 2025 11:00 AM