Walter Uzdejczyk of Yonkers, NY passed peacefully into eternal life on Saturday, January 16, 2021. Walter (Wolydymyr) was born on February 19, 1925, in Jankivtsi, Ukraine to Ivan and Katerina Uzdejczyk. The oldest of seven children, Walter spent his adolescence in the Lemikivshchyna region of western Ukraine; at the outset of World War II, he was sent to Germany, where he spent years as a forced laborer. In 1950, Walter immigrated to America, settling first in New York City’s East Village. There he met his wife, Maria, whom he married in 1952. Walter and Maria moved to Yonkers in 1965, where they raised their three children in a close-knit and vibrant Ukrainian-American community. Walter worked as tool-and-die maker at the Precision Valve Corporation in Yonkers, retiring after 25 years of service.
Walter was a devout parishioner of St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Yonkers and an active member of several organizations, including the Ukrainian American Youth Association (UAYA) and the Organization for Defense of Lemko Western Ukraine (OOL). For many years, Walter taught Ukrainian dance under the auspices of the UAYA; he is fondly remembered as introducing a generation of diaspora youth to this facet of their cultural heritage. Walter was an ardent fan of the Krylati soccer team. He was also a beloved—and well-dressed—fixture on any dance floor, where he could be seen leading Maria in a waltz, tango, or polka. Family gatherings brought him special joy; he loved to sing, tell stories, and share servings of his homemade slivovitsia (plum brandy).
Walter is survived by his devoted wife, Maria; their children & spouses: Roman (Martha), Daria (Andrew), and Oksana (Michael); as well as grandchildren Natalie, Juliana, Christine (Frank), Andrew, Matthew, and Lukian; youngest brother, Adam, as well as many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to St. Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Church (Yonkers)
or O.O.L. ( Organization of the defense of Lemkivshchyna )
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