John Dmytro Ostrishko

Born on January 23, 1933, at Horodok, Ukraine; he was the son of Dmytro and Anna Ostrishko. He had two brothers and two sisters. While John was a child, the German army occupied the entire town of Horok and sent all of it’s citizens to labor camps. They were liberated in April, 1945, by American troops. John and his family then stayed at a Displaced Persons Camp, which was an old German army post at Bayreuth, Germany, holding 5,000-6,000 people, until October, 1949. John’s father obtained visas to the USA for the entire family. They sailed by ship from Bremerhaven, Germany, and arrived at Boston, Massachusetts on October 14, 1949.

They then ended up at a large estate in Virginia, where John went to high school, graduating in 1953. John also worked for a frozen food company in Washington, DC, prior to his enlistment. John enlisted in the US Army on August 16, 1953, and took his basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Then he was sent to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, a processing center, then on to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for training in Military Intelligence. While in the US Army, John became an American Citizen on November 11, 1954.

John was married on August 22, 1955, to Betty Watkins. Betty was born and raised in Durham, North Carolina. John stayed in the Army until August 15, 1956. He reached the rank of Sergeant (E-5). On September 24, 1956, John joined the US Air Force, where he was also in Military Intelligence. In 1959, he went to Electronic School at Biloxi, Mississippi for one year, then on to Dickinson, North Dakota, in an Air Defense System. In June, 1962, he was transferred to Iceland for a year. Next assignment was at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, where he was in charge of Radio Communication Maintenance. Next stop was MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. John also served in the Philippines at Clark Air Base, starting in 1965, for two years. Then on to South Korea for temporary duty (TDY) until 1970. Then to Arkansas, in Missile Communication Systems.

John retired in 1973 with twenty years of military service. He had earned the Air Force Commendation Ribbon and the Good Conduct Metal.

John and Betty returned to North Carolina where he worked for the Post Office from October, 1973, to March, 1974. Then to the City of Raleigh, where he was in traffic maintenance systems, later promoted to Traffic Signal Supervisor. In January, 1994, he retired again. He then did part-time jobs in communications, etc.

John was a member of American Legion Cary Post 67 for several years, having transferred from an Air Force Veteran’s Post. His total service in all posts is twenty-seven years.

He is survived by his sons: Michael and Shari Ostrishko, of Cary and Gary Ostrishko, of Apex; grandchildren: Nicki Ostrishko and husband Mark Preslar and Kayla Ostrishko; great-granddaughter: Florence Sophie Preslar; and many nieces, nephews and other extended family and friends.

John was preceded in death by his parents, wife, daughter, Lydia Ostrishko and four siblings: Walter, Thomas, Luba and Tina.

Family will receive friends on Friday, February 27, 2026 from 11:30 am until 1:00 pm at Brown Wynne Funeral Home in Cary. A Funeral Service, officiated by Father Nicholas Sorensen, will be held at 1:00 pm in the Funeral Home Chapel, with interment and Military Honors to follow at Montlawn Memorial Park in Raleigh.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in John's memory to St. Jude Children's Hospital at www.stjude.org

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