Mrs. Olena Iwasyszyn

Obituary

Olena Neumerschitsky was born 1926 in the village of Luchanky, in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine, which is 1 km from the Belarus border.

Belarus came to play a connecting role in Olena’s life, with Olena’s grandmother living in Belarus.

Living a happy childhood, Olena was suddenly forced to survive Stalin’s Soviet-imposed Communist starvation, the Holodomor, the imposed genocidal famine of 1930-1935 when 10 million people died.

When Stalin imposed the famine on all Ukraine, and executed her father, Olena’s family in Belarus were able to smuggle and hide foods for little Olena, her mother and her 3 sisters.

In 1941, when the Nazis arrived in Ukraine, 14 year old Olena was pulled from her family, and shipped to work in Braunschweig, Germany.

Working for the Ahrens family, a kind family who ran a metallurgical factory, Olena met and married Wasyl in 1945, and, in Braunschweig, gave birth to Dmytro/Mitchell in 1946.

Olena arrived to Canada in 1948, with her baby son. She had followed her husband, Wasyl, who had arrived 6 months earlier. He was fulfilling his Canadian government one year contractual obligation to work in the mines of Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec.

Olena’s life in Canada followed the struggles of immigrant life. Fortunately, the Iwasyszyn family found support in the social circles of other Ukrainian families, Ukrainian organizations like Plast, and the Ukrainian Orthodox, as well as Catholic, Churches.

Finding local Toronto jobs, Olena and Wasyl were able to buy houses to raise and support their small family. Olena and Wasyl’s daughter, Natalie, was born into successful economic times in Toronto in 1955.

Olena and Wasyl also continued to support Olena’s family in Zhytomyr, Ukraine, as well as Wasyl’s family in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine.

After owning and managing their apartment building, Wasyl died there in 1997. Olena finally chose to move to 123 LaRose, an independent retirement residence where she lived before coming to the UCCC.

In her last 5 enjoyable years at UCCC, she was happily surrounded by new friends and excellent staff in her fully supported lifestyle.

Pre-deceased by her father, mother, brother and sisters, Olena is survived by her son Dmytro/Mitchell, daughter Natalie, daughter-in-law Sylvia and granddaughter Christine Evans.

The family has been perpetually grateful to the staff at Ukrainian Canadian Care Centre. They have selflessly provided excellent quality of care, kindness and respect to Olena, our mother/grandmother. We were very fortunate to have such a wonderful person in our lives who we called mama/baba. We will deeply miss her forever.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to be made directly to The Ukrainian Canadian Care Centre.

Reception is to be held at the Old Mill Toronto.

Map of the Old Mill Toronto.

Visitation

Service

Burial