The family of Maria Hrabowsky (Hrabowskyj) are terribly heartbroken to announce her passing, at age 89, in the early morning of Monday, April 27, 2020 at St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Toronto. She was our Mother, Baba, and best friend, and a beautiful woman with an enormous heart of gold.

On October 21st, 2019, Maria was admitted to the hospital due to a sudden neurological condition that remained unexplained. Over the course of six months, she put up such a brave effort to survive and get better, that even the hospital staffs were amazed at her strength. Unfortunately, over time, the struggle became too great for her and she quietly succumbed.

Maria was pre-deceased by her beloved husband of 61 years, Mr. Teodor Hrabowskyj (1920-2013). She will forever remain the loving Mama of Peter, Dennis, and Marion (Kay Peters), and dearest Baba of grandchildren Mark and Laura.

There are not enough words to describe our Mama. She was one of the most loving, kind, caring, gentle, forgiving, and high-spirited individuals that anyone could meet. She was also creative, artistic, and had a witty, but light-hearted sense of humour. Maria was always known as a true friend and she had so much love for everyone that anyone who knew her loved her back.

Marusia (Maria) Bociurko was born in Monastyryska, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine, on November 26, 1930, to parents Wolodymyr and Yulia (Pidhirna). As a young child, she was a very adventurous, and mischievous “tom-boy” who enjoyed playing outdoors in her grandfather’s garden and climbing trees. She also loved her family dearly. Very sadly, she lost both her parents before she had reached her mid-teens and was cared for a short time by her grandmother Marcella (Skula) Bociurko. Her only sibling, a brother named Orest, would also pass away at only 18 years of age.

As a young teenager, Maria would bravely leave her war-torn Ukraine and join the massive, displaced person migration from across Eastern Europe. She spent some time with thousands of other Ukrainians at a DP Camp in the American Army occupied town of Aschaffenburg, Germany, where she finished her schooling, met many future friends, and joyfully participated in the organized PLAST scout activities.

In November 1948, Maria sailed aboard RMS Scythia for Canada and for a short time worked as a nanny in Chicoutimi, Quebec. When her uncle, Hilary Bociurko and his wife Iwanna “Jenny” (Kukil), settled in the Southern Ontario town of St. Thomas, they invited Maria to come and live with them and her cousins Bob and George. They became her surrogate family. In St. Thomas Maria gained new, life-long friends and became well rooted in the small Ukrainian community of new immigrants. Here she also met and soon married a young technical engineer, Teodor “Ted” Hrabowskyj, on May 10, 1952. Their three children, Peter, Dennis, and Marion would all be born in St. Thomas.

Long-time residents of St. Thomas may recall the convenience store that Maria operated on Fairview Avenue, next to Mary Bucke Elementary School, during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

When her husband Ted took a job with Ontario Hydro in the mid 1960s, their young family moved to Toronto. In 1969 Maria went to Lakeshore Teacher’s College and after graduating began teaching at both, the Etobicoke Board of Education and the UNF-West Toronto Ukrainian School. During her more than two decades career as an educator, Maria’s endearing personality and teaching style won over all of her students - many of whom still remember her to this day as a favourite teacher who willingly went out of her way to help her students succeed. Eventually she would serve a year as school principal, at UNF-West (Swansea), just before her retirement from teaching.

In 1974, and again in 1991, Maria had the opportunity of travelling back to Ukraine to visit her homeland and spend some time with some of her relatives.

Maria also loved singing. Over the years she sang in the church choirs at Holy Cross Ukrainian Church (St.Thomas, ON), St. Michael’s Ukrainian Church (6th St., Toronto), and St. Demetrius Ukrainian Church (La Rose Ave., Toronto), plus, the organized women’s choirs “Vatra” (1970s) and “Dibrova” (1980s). Her singing voice was beautiful and pure. She also found great joy in listening to the radio and singing along with her favourite songs. Her family loved listening to her sing.

Maria was a remarkable person who touched the lives of everyone she met.

Regardless of all her accomplishments during her life, Mama’s biggest joy was always her family. We love her deeply and we will always honour and treasure our memories of her.


Peter, Dennis, Marion (husband Kay Peters).
Mark & Laura (grandchildren).

May God bless Maria. Vichnaya Pam’yat.

Maria’s family would like to thank all the health care workers who attended to her, and especially, all the compassionate ladies from CBI/We Care.