Our Spiritual Health Legacy

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  In Memory of Oleksander Chartchenko 

(01 Feb.1930 - 26 Nov. 2024)

Oleksander Chartchenko,a long-standing Board Member, our colleague, friend and then a resident, passed away on November 26, 2024.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Oleksander for his unwavering commitment and remarkable contributions to Ivan Franko Homes,

where he dedicated 24 years of exceptional service

(officially joined the Board of Directors in 1992).

 Oleksander Chartchenko was born on February 1, 1930, in the Krasnopill village, in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, Oleksander's life was marked by resilience, dedication, and service to his family and community.

Oleksander’s early life was shaped by resilience in the face of great hardship. His family endured the challenges of political persecution, the Holodomor, and war, ultimately finding refuge in a displaced persons camp in Germany. There, Oleksander completed high school and became deeply involved in the Ukrainian community before immigrating to Canada in 1951, arriving at Pier 21 in Halifax.

In Canada, Oleksander pursued education and built a remarkable career, earning degrees from the Ryerson Institute of Technology, the University of Toronto, and the University of Waterloo. He worked at General Motors, became an entrepreneur, and served as a journalist and broadcaster for CBC Radio Canada International. Oleksander gave tirelessly to the Ukrainian-Canadian community through leadership roles in ODUM,

Ivan Franko Homes, Slovo, Association of Ukrainian Journalists and

St. Volodymyr Cathedral, leaving an enduring legacy of love and service.

His passions extended beyond his professional and community work. Oleksander was an avid chess player, a skilled photographer, and a lover of literature, finding joy and meaning in the beauty of

life’s intellectual pursuits.

Oleksander’s journey from a Ukrainian village to becoming a cornerstone of his community in Canada serves as a testament to his unwavering determination, dedication to his heritage, and lasting contributions. 

He will be remembered fondly by all who knew him and by

the Ukrainian-Canadian community he so profoundly impacted. 

May he rest in peace!

Вічная Пам'ять!

  In Memory of Mykola Moros

( 20 Dec. 1945 – 24 Sept. 2021 )

Mykola Moros, our colleague and friend, passed away on September 24 at the age of 75. In July of 2009 Mykola officially became a member of the Board of Directors of Ivan Franko Homes, with thanks to Mykola Moros.

Let us take a moment to pause and honour Mykola. 

A few reflections about Mykola and his contribution to our Ukrainian community

- by profession he was an engineer but very passionate about Ukrainian culture and sponsored many musical and literary programs in Ukraine and in his hometown of Toronto

- Mykola was a long-time dedicated member of ODUM and for many years was president of ODUM Canada - US  (1988 – 1996) 

- he founded the Kobza International Corporation, a Joint Ukrainian-Canadian Enterprise (Dec. 1988 – 1996) and under the auspices of the firm sponsored the musical festival “Chervona Ruta” in Chernivtsi, Ukraine in Sept. of 1989 and financially supported the Ukrainian Canadian  performers of the festival.

- he produced award winning films and presented them at the Science Centre in Toronto 

- he set up a recording studio in Kyiv and produced audio-cassets of well known Ukrainian performers which he sponsored to Canada and hosted at his EL Dorado Apartment on Lakeshore Blvd. ; artists such as Nina Matvienko and the group “Zoloti Kliuchi”, bandurist Halyna Menkush and kobza player Vasyl Nechepa to name a few (I had two bandura ensembles at that time and Mykola made sure that the students

had an opportunity to meet and greet these artists and listen to their music first hand)

- his company also had a printing shop and one of the first productions was - Практичний словник синонімів української мови, which was presented at St. Vladimir Institute in 1994. The author, dissident Sviatoslav Karavansky, was present for the opening ceremony and the signing of his book. I had the privilege of meeting him. More details about Mykola’s work can be found on the internet by googling СП Кобза і.е.

Спільне підприємство Кобза (Українсько-канадське спільне підприємство «Кобза»).

To finish off my short reflections about Mykola’s active life,

I’d like to share with you a personal story that took place over 30 years ago, about an essay contest for Ukrainian students at the University of Toronto. The topic of the essay was  - “Should Ukrainian students go to Ukraine and why”. The prize -  a three week trip to Ukraine (all expenses paid) to meet Ukrainian students in Kyiv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Odessa, Lviv. Sponsor - unknown. It turned out to be Mykola Moros.

The winners were: Greg Blysniuk (current President of St. Volodymyr Cathedral Church Council), Alex Ochrym (current member of St. Volodymyr Cathedral Church Council), Nestor Gula from Plast and Oksana Rodak, my daughter (current co-Artistic Director and

conductor of the Women’s Bandura Ensemble of North America).

They were all good students and fluent in Ukrainian. Result of the trip - Oksana fell in love with the country and the people; went back to Ukraine to study at the Kyiv Conservatory and later rsided in the capital for a number of years with her Ukrainian American husband who worked for the US - Ukraine Foundation. That was what Mykola did to one student in 1989 before he became a well- known businessman. 

Mykola will always be remembered for his optimism, generosity and positive influence on the Ukrainian Canadian youth. 

May he rest in peace ! 

Walentina Rodak,

Long-time friend of Mykola Moros and

Director of Ivan Franko Homes 

Presented on Oct. 13, 2021 during the Ivan Franko Homes Board of Directors Meeting