Jaroslav’s special field of interest was Ukrainian language and literature. He is best known for his publications on nineteenth and twentieth-century writers and the Ukrainian cultural experience in Canada. In the sixties through the eighties, he organized many literary readings for writers and scholars from Ukraine, the US and Canada. In his final months of illness with cancer, he completed his book on the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in Canada, currently in publication. He leaves unfinished, a collection of his essays on Taras Shevchenko, for the 200th anniversary of the poet’s birth.
He was recognized internationally and received numerous awards, including the Petro Mohyla Medal, the Taras Shevchenko Medal, the Order of the Eternal Flame in Silver, the University of Manitoba Outreach Award and was included in ‘Who’s Who in the World’. In addition to his professional achievements, Jaroslav took a leading role in the community. He served on numerous boards and organizations, including as president of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in Canada, the Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Center, the Markian Shashkevych Center in Winnipeg, as board member of the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, and chairman of the Winnipeg Harvard Project Committee. He was also involved in Plast Ukrainian Youth Association. In the years leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union, Jaroslav played a pivotal role in the Canadian Friends of RUKH (Popular Movement for the Restructuring of Ukraine) and co-founded and chaired its Manitoba branch (1989-1992). Jaroslav was a giving and thoughtful individual. He lived his life with integrity and purpose. His insights, support and advice were frequently sought by family and friends. He was a caring husband, an inspiring Tato and proud Dido. He was a principled individual who will be greatly missed. Divine Liturgy will be celebrated on Saturday December 14th at 9:00 am at Sts. Volodymyr and Ol’ha Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, 115 McGregor St, Winnipeg with Rt. Rev. Msgr. Mitrat M. Buyachok presiding. Interment will follow at All Saints Cemetery. If so desired, donations in Jaroslav’s memory may be made to the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in Canada, 235 McGregor St, Winnipeg, MB, R2W 4W5 or the Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre, 184 Alexander Ave East, Winnipeg, MB, R3B 0L6. Вічна Йому Пам’ять Eternal Memory