Bohdan Andrij Huryn

Bohdan A. Huryn, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, peacefully passed away on Friday, October 26, 2018. He was born in Poland to Andrij and Appolonia Huryn, surviving WWII as a young child in refugee camps. He spent several years in England before immigrating to NYC in 1951, then Cleveland OH in 1953, where he met his wife Jean at Fenn College and married in 1959.

Bo played soccer and tennis at Fenn College (CSU), graduating in 1960 with a BSEE. He was named to the All-American Soccer Team in both 1957 and 1959 and inducted into the Cleveland State University Hall of Fame in 1977. He played soccer well into his 40s and helped bring soccer into Craven County by coaching and refereeing recreational soccer teams for over 30 years.

He became a licensed electrical engineer, joining Weyerhaeuser in Longview, WA in 1963, working in Philadelphia PA and Fitchburg MA, before coming to New Bern, NC as Electrical Superintendent with their new mill in 1969. He later bought Ace Electric and served as president of B & H Construction, doing business in several southern states. Later he worked as a consultant for East Group Engineering and finished his career as Energy Manager at Cherry Point MCAS.

In retirement, he consulted for Hite Engineering (Greenville) and En-Tech Engineering (Goldsboro). But the love of his life was his family, where he was fondly known as “Papa” to his 10 grandchildren, 2 additional grandchildren and great-grandson, cheering them on at all their sporting or cultural events (soccer, basketball, fencing, swimming, baseball, lacrosse, dramas, musicals, and jazz concerts).

The last few years, he enjoyed being a tutor with the Kingswood Program at Garber UMC. He enjoyed sailing, the beach, and traveling the world with his wife to Hawaii, the Canadian Rockies, Machu Picchu, Thailand, China, and Rome where he received a rosary from Pope John Paul. He traveled with grandchildren to Spain, Italy, Ukraine, and the Amazon jungle. After a diagnosis of brain cancer last summer, his final trip this August was a return to the Amazon jungle with his two youngest grandsons.

He will be dearly missed by his wife, Dr. Jean S. Huryn, daughter Adele Huryn Hite (Greg Bower) and their children Grayson Hite, Zenik Hite, and Jakob Bower; sons Timothy Huryn, and Andrij Huryn (Juanita) and their children Anna, Henri, and Isaac; and grandsons Aleksander (Sasha) Seymore, Jackson Seymore, Chase Seymore, and Drs. Noah Seymore (Maja Herco) and their son Luka Seymore, and extended family David and Bridgit Jones and their children Erik and Zoia. He was predeceased by his parents, 4 siblings and his beloved daughter, Natalie Huryn Seymore. The family wishes to thank Dr. Simon Khagi and Nurse Sonja Henretty of UNC Oncology Dept. and the staff of Hillcrest Center in Durham. A soccer scholarship fund for New Bern area youths, to support those in need by providing dues and equipment, has been created in his honor at GoFundMe.com (Bo “Papa” Huryn Scholarship Fund).

Visitation will be Friday evening, Nov. 2 (6:30-8:30 pm) at Cotten Funeral Home (New Bern) with funeral at Garber UMC (Trent Woods) on Sat., Nov. 3 (2 pm).

Arrangements are by Cotten Funeral Home & Crematory.