Notices are posted by 10 am Monday through Saturday
GERALDINE CAROL RUSSIN
Born: May 19, 1937
Date of Passing: Aug 18, 2026
Send Flowers to the Family Offer Condolences or MemoryGERALDINE CAROL RUSSIN
It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Geraldine Carol Russin, aged 89 years on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, in Winnipeg, MB, Canada. Geraldine was born on May 19, 1937, in Winnipeg, and was predeceased by her husband of 54 years, Fred John Russin (2017), her mother Amelia Chaykowski (née Zydyk) (2004), father Michael Chaykowski (1983), and brothers-in-law, Tom Ostry (2010), and Miro Bukal (2023). Left to mourn her passing are her two sons, Michael, of Winnipeg, and Ted and wife Karen (née Parsons), and her two precious granddaughters, Hannah and Julia Russin of Red Hook, NY, USA. She is also survived by her sister Anne Ostry (née Chaykowski), and niece Dr. Diane Ostry, both of Winnipeg.
Geraldine grew up on Pritchard Avenue in Winnipeg’s North End. Throughout her childhood she participated in many activities such as Ukrainian school, Vasyl Avramenko dancing classes, the Canadian Ukrainian Youth Association (CYMK) at St. Mary's the Protectress Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, and various choirs, and theater productions.
Upon completing Grade 12 at Tec-Voc High School, she worked as a secretary for the Government of Canada, the University of Manitoba Department of Plant Science, and Dominion Stores. For over 60 years she managed a multi-property residential real estate business founded by her father in 1930.
Geraldine and Fred strongly believed in education and sharing their faith, giving their children all the opportunities that they could offer, including driving them across the city for lessons, activities, and school almost daily. It was during that hectic time that Geraldine matriculated at the University of Manitoba to study on a part-time basis, ultimately, completing a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History in 1984. She continued with graduate studies and completed a Master of Arts degree in History from the University of Manitoba in 1999. Her research focused on Ukrainian-Canadian urban history, and her thesis was entitled "The Ukrainian United Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1903-1961: The History of a Unique Religious Experience". She presented her research at multiple community and academic events including the 50th Anniversary Conference of The Canadian Association of Slavists in 2004. Geraldine always enjoyed doing primary research and even after completing her graduate studies made frequent trips to the Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa, ON, as well as multiple trips to the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. In 1993 she volunteered to teach conversational English in Lviv, Ukraine through the Ukrainian National Association and returned in 1996 to document family history through oral interviews, and primary document, photo, and state archive research.
When not 'scratching' through primary sources in archives, as she liked to describe it, Geraldine was often cooking and baking for her family. Throughout the year she had her favourite ingredients and preparations including smorzhi (morel mushrooms), her yellow wax bean summer soup with petrushka (flat-leaf Italian parsley), summer fruit pies, buckwheat holubtsi (cabbage rolls), three-day pickles, and pidpenky (honey mushrooms). She spent years ever perfecting her Easter paska bread with saffron, and every Sviatyi Vechir (Ukrainian Christmas Eve) was an opportunity to delight in her twelve meatless dishes including borsch, shchupak (minced and stuffed pike fish), and her light and fluffy pampushky (Ukrainian donuts). She cherished every opportunity to pass on her culture and heritage to her granddaughters through shared holidays, visits, and watching their Ukrainian school, and Ukrainian dancing concerts streamed straight to her iPad from Albany, NY.
Geraldine was an active participant in the Ukrainian-Canadian community. She was a longtime member of the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral where she was one of the founders and chairwomen of the Ukrainian Nursery School for Tiny Tots (Sadochok Dlya Malyat). She was a longstanding member of the Lesia Ukrainka Branch of the Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada, the Alpha Omega Women’s Alumnae, Oseredok Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre, and was on the Board of Directors of the Ukrainian Voice (Ukrayinskyi Holos) newspaper/Trident Press. She belonged to the Ukrainian Reading Association 'Prosvita' (Chytalnia) and was its Winnipeg representative to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.
The funeral will be held on Friday, September 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral, 1175 Main Street, officiated by Father Gene Maximiuk. Entombment to follow at Glen Eden Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Geraldine’s memory to the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral, or a charity of one’s choice.
As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 12, 2026