VICTOR DENEKA

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VICTOR DENEKA It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Victor Deneka on April 3, 2010 at Seven Oaks Hospital at the age of 88. Victor was a deeply religious man whose actions exemplified the teachings of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. He was also a very active member of the Ukrainian community generously donating his time and resources towards many worthwhile initiatives. Victor was predeceased by his parents Semen and Agripine and by his brother Eugene. Left to lovingly cherish his memory are his nephews Orest and Roman, his sister-in-law Zenovia, his nephew Orest's wife Iryna and their children Andrij, Bohdan and Chrystyna. Victor was born in Samarkand (now Uzbekistan) in Central Asia on June 25, 1921. His secondary education took place in Western Ukraine and he graduated from the State Grammar School in Cholm, Western Ukraine in 1944. He studied architecture at the Technical University Carolo-Wilhelmina in Brunswick, Germany as a result of a scholarship awarded by the British Military Government for the British Zone of Germany. After immigrating to Canada with his parents and brother in 1949, he attended the University of Manitoba and obtained a Bachelor of Architecture in 1952. He was a member of the Manitoba Association of Architects and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. For many years he was the regional architect for the Canadian National Railways Prairie Region. In his private practice he designed many buildings. Three examples of these projects are the consistory building for the Ukrainian Catholic Archdiocese of Winnipeg, a building for Plast Ukrainian Youth Association and an office building for the Ukrainian Fraternal Society of Canada. He was also commissioned to design several Ukrainian Catholic churches in Manitoba. Some of them are: Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Basil's and St. Anne's in Winnipeg, Holy Ghost Church in Beausejour, St. Mary's Church in Russell, Church of the Assumption in Portage la Prairie and the Church of the Resurrection in Dauphin. His passion for Ukrainian Church architecture continued even after his retirement . He was often asked to participate in conferences and to deliver lectures on Ukrainian church architecture in Canada. Over the last several years he had been working on a book about Ukrainian church architecture and its related art in Canada and continued to do so right up to his last days. This important professional publication will be released within the year as a celebration of his life-long dedication which combined his professional and religious life. From his university days, Victor was active in various student and community organizations. He was instrumental in organizing the first congress of Ukrainian Catholic university students of Canada in 1953, which resulted in the creation of the national student federation Obnova which covered six provinces. Soon after, he was very active in organizing a congress of all Ukrainian student organizations in Canada in 1953, which resulted in the creation of the Ukrainian Canadian University Students' Union (SUSK). In the following years, he was twice president of the Obnova Alumni Society, president of the Archdiocesan Executive of the Ukrainian Catholic Brotherhood of Canada, twice president of the Ukrainian Catholic Council of the Winnipeg Archdiocese, national president of the Ukrainian Catholic Council of Canada and an honorary director of the Catholic Foundation of Manitoba, to name just a few of the many organizations he was actively involved in. Victor was a member of the Board of Directors of the Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko, a member of the Ukrainian Professional and Business Club of Winnipeg, secretary of the Ukrainian Literary and Arts Club of Winnipeg and an active member and recent president of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences (UVAN) to again just name a few of the many organizations that he was involved in. In November 1982, Victor received a high papal distinction from his Holiness Pope John Paul II, who named him Cavalier of the Order of St. Gregory the Great. The official investiture was held June 7, 1983 in the Cathedral of Sts Vladimir and Olga in Winnipeg, presided over by Wladyslaw Cardinal Rubin, prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches, with Archbishop - Metropolitan Maxim Hermaniuk and Auxiliary Bishop Myron Daciuk participating. The Order of St. Gregory the Great was established in 1831 by Pope Gregory XVI and is conferred on persons who are distinguished for personal character and reputation and for notable accomplishments for the Church and community in general. As well, he received the highest honour of the Ukrainian Catholic Brotherhood of Canada, the Order of St. Vladimir the Great. Prayers (Panakhyda) will be sung 7:00 p.m., Thursday, April 8 at the Ukrainian Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral of Sts Vladimir and Olga, 115 McGregor St. Divine Liturgy will be celebrated 10:00 a.m., Friday, April 9 also at the Cathedral with the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Mitrat Michael J. Buyachok officiating. Interment will take place at All Saints Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, as is consistent with his dedication, donations may be made to the Immaculate Heart of Mary School Building Fund. As well, donations may be made for Divine Liturgies for the repose of his soul. CHRYSTOS VOSKRES KORBAN FUNERAL CHAPEL 956-2193

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 06, 2010