Dr. Andrew Michael Hruszkewycz of Derwood, Maryland, passed away suddenly on Sunday, December 16, 2018, at the age of 70. He was born in Bamberg, Germany, on February 23, 1948, before moving to Cleveland, Ohio with his parents, Dr. Nicholas and Maria Hruszkewycz, and his sister Motrja.
He was an active member of the Ukrainian community in both Cleveland and the Washington, D.C. area. As a member of Smoloskyp and the Washington-based Helsinki Guarantees for Ukraine Committee in the 1970s and ‘80s, Dr. Hruszkewycz was active on behalf of human rights in the Soviet Union. In August 1977, he was a delegate to the 6th Congress of the World Psychiatric Association in Honolulu where he helped lead efforts to officially condemn the systematic political abuse of psychiatry in the Soviet Union. The Soviet regime was incarcerating prominent dissidents in psychiatric wards where they were tortured with psychotropic drugs rendering them mentally incapacitated. By a narrow margin, the Congress adopted a condemnatory resolution dealing a stunning blow to Soviet prestige, constituting a major initiative, among many others, which led to the collapse of the Soviet Empire.
Until his passing, Dr. Hruszkewycz served as a Program Director with the Translational Research Program of the NCI Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis where he managed translational research SPORE (Specialized Programs of Research Excellence) grant portfolios for prostate and bladder cancers. He received his MD/PhD degrees at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and completed his pathology residency at Temple University and George Washington University Hospitals. He was also a Senior Staff Fellow in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the NIH Clinical Center, and a diplomat of the American Board of Pathology. His cancer research included investigations in the area of oxidative stress, chemical carcinogenesis, molecular diagnostics, and translational cancer research in urologic cancers. Dr. Hruszkewycz served as a Scientist Associate at the NCI Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Special Expert with the Prostate and Urologic Cancer Research Group of the NCI Division of Cancer Prevention. Throughout his career he was unwavering in his dedication to the work and mission of finding a cure for cancer.
Beyond work, Dr. Hruszkewycz took great pleasure in spending as much time as he could with his family and friends. He was a warm, considerate, caring, and generous person who will be greatly missed by all who knew him. In his free time, he enjoyed gardening, reading, swimming, nature, and living life to its fullest.
Dr. Hruszkewycz was predeceased by his beloved sister Motrja Bihun and his parents Dr. Nicholas and Maria Hruszkewycz. He is survived by his loving wife of 29 years, Christine Zynjuk Hruszkewycz, sister-in-law Nila Iwaskiw and husband Walter, brothers-in-law Yaro Bihun and George Zynjuk, numerous loving cousins with their spouses and children, friends, and colleagues.
Viewing Friday, December 28 from 4:00-5:30pm, Parastas (memorial service) at 5:30pm, tributes and remembrances 6:30-8:00pm at Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home in Silver Spring, Maryland. Funeral Liturgy Saturday, December 29 at 10:00am at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Silver Spring, Maryland. Interment to follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery Silver Spring, Maryland. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Stand up to Cancer (standuptocancer.org), Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation (ucef.org/support-us/in-the-u-s/), and Ukrainian Museum-Archives (www.umacleveland.org/)
