My condolences on the passing of Dr. Petro Potichnyj, my respected academic colleague. 
Dr. Ihor Stebelsky

Thank you to your family for everything, I have fond memories of knowing you in the 1980s and also reading some of his academic work.

It is strange how much of who we are is shaped by people we meet, the conversations we have, the moments we share.
And yet, sometimes a person can leave fingerprints on your life without ever standing in front of you. I never got to sit with him. I never got to hear his voice tell a story or shake his hand. But through the people who loved him most, his grandson, his daughter, and his granddaughter I was given something precious.. Pieces of who he was. The stories they carry, the lessons he taught, the laughter he left behind, the values he passed down, those things did not leave with him. They live on in them. And because they shared those memories with me, a small part of him found its way into my life too. We are all, in some way, made of other people. We carry them in our habits, our humor, our kindness, our strength. We live on in the memories we create and in the people we leave behind. I am deeply honored to have known even a tiny piece of Dr. Potichnyj. Though I never had the privilege of being in his presence, I feel grateful that the people he loved shared enough of him for me to understand what an incredible man he was. Some people leave a legacy so strong that it reaches people they never had the chance to meet... Peter was one of those people.
May his memory continue to live on in every life he touched, including mine.

In the early years of the rapid development of Ukrainian studies in Canada , Dr. Potichnyj initiated or was involved in organizing important academic conferences, papers stemming from which were later published in collections, that he co-edited. The conferences were organized around themes, such as Polish-Ukrainian and Jewish-Ukrainian relations. Potichnyj in this way promoted an understanding of one another's histories and the overcoming of differences between peoples and nations. The Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, with which I am still affiliated, published these early volumes. I later got to know Profesor Potichnyj and reviewed his memoir "My Journey", describing his years in the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. He was long-time editor of the documentary series "Litopys UPA" and was one of the last of the Mohicans. 
He is fondly remembered on this, his last journey.

My sincere condolences to Pani Tamara and the entire  Family on the passing of Professor  Peter Potichnyj. As a physician and friend ,I was constantly reminded of his desire to “set the record straight” , documenting the historical truth in an evidence based manner. From his own personal experiences, to  diligent research, he has left an impressive record of Ukraine’s ongoing battle for freedom and global recognition of its sovereignty . Вічная Память!

Dear Tamara, 

We were much saddened to learn of Peter’s death. He enjoyed a long and rewarding life and we feel honoured to have known him for more than fifty years.

I very much regret that I did not have a recent visit with Peter. For many years we saw one another almost every day, Monday through Friday, at the McMaster gym. Peter went for his swim and I for squash, but we were together for long spells in the sauna, talking about everything from world events to the chosen colour of his swimming trunks (pink) to how work was proceeding with his astounding editorial projects and, thank goodness, his autobiography that provides a fascinating record of his extraordinary life. His scholarship is legendary.

We will miss him, but are left with many fond memories, including wonderful dinner parties in your home with such gracious hospitality and, of course, your incomparable cooking. We must say our goodbyes from a distance, since we are travelling, but please know that our thoughts are with you, Eugene, and Adriana.

We are pleased make a donation in Peter’s honour to the Ukrainian World Foundation.

Byron and Flora

I have such deep admiration for Professor Potichnyj's  pivotal, precise, and responsible body of research and writings. 

I am forever grateful  for all that he shared with me as I wrote my WWII novels, particularly Underground Soldier (The War Below), which is dedicated to him. 

 Vichnaya Pamyat

For my high school years, the Potichnyj family provided a welcoming home for me. Eugene was a friend who helped me find my way through the sometimes challenging politics of high school. Humour was a gift that was abundantly shared! 

Mr. and Mrs. Potichnyj were so kind to me. I was given so many rides to school. I cannot count them. And there was wonderful hospitality shared with me and many others. 

You might say that I enjoyed the cakes that Mrs. Potichnyj made and shared with me. But I think they also gave me one window into the beauty of the Ukrainian culture.

Peter Potichnyj's contribution to our understanding of Ukraine in the world was something that I was aware of when I was growing up. He was a writer of books. A professor at McMaster University. 

I suppose I took it for granted. But, as I look back, I know that my positive feeling about the people of Ukraine is grounded in my friendship with the Potichnyj family.

I send my good wishes to you, my condolences and my thanks.

Dearest Pani Tamara, Adriana and Eugene and family, 
So sad to hear of your tatos passing. He was a most gentle and giving soul. A great scholar who shared his knowledge generously and inspired many. He was humble and kind and sincerely welcomed conversation with anyone interested to share his presence.  His goodness and heartfelt presence will be dearly missed and his life will  forever remain a living legacy. I cherish the privilege to have known him. 
Embrace  the many wonderful memories that your father has left you and find comfort in knowing that your TAto now rests peacefully  in the arms of his Maker.  Вічна йому памʼять. 
Sincerely,
Christine Wityk

Professor Potichnyj was  a tremendous contributor to the University of Toronto Libraries, regularly donating books to the circulating collection, and most significantly establishing the Peter J. Potichnyj Collection in Insurgency and Counter-Insurgency in Ukraine. 

At the time of receipt in 1997, the collection numbered over 250,000 documents from Soviet, Polish, German, American, and Ukrainian underground archives. With his nearly yearly deposits, the collection was added to and grew and now numbers 264 cartons of material, over 500 reels of microfilm, and a finding aid numbering over 900 pages of folder-level descriptions. 

The collection attracts serious research and has contributed to  many publications on Ukraine and interethnic relations.

On behalf of the University of Toronto Library, we are grateful for his generosity and for creating a resource that will continue to generate scholarship.

A distinguished scholar and author, Professor Potichnyj convened several important conferences in the late 1970s and early 1980s that I attended as a graduate student, and from which I learned a great deal about modern Ukrainian history. A veteran of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, Dr Potichnyj belonged to a generation profoundly committed to Ukrainian independence and unity — a generation tested both on the battlefield and in academic life. Throughout his life, he remained steadfast in defending historical truth, and his words and deeds left a lasting mark. May he rest in peace.

- Professor Lubomyr Luciuk

OBITUARY

Dr. Peter Joseph Potichnyj

2 June, 1930 – 3 June, 2026

Markey-Dermody Funeral Home

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