It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, grandfather and great grandfather John Kytayko on April 30,2022 in his 100th year of life.
John will be sadly missed by his sons George (Cathy) Paul (Elisa) and Walter (Mei); his grandchildren Sonya Story (Kris), Evan, Jonathan (Shannon) Kevin (Rebecca), Sara and great grandchildren Cole, Ava and Leo. He will also be missed by his stepchildren Joyce Oshanek (Randy), Larry Oshanek and Francis Parsons (Rick) and their families.
John was born in 1922 to Ukrainian parents in what is now the Transnistria district of Moldova. He was predeceased by his parents Petrovitch and Elena, his siblings Vasil and Anna and his daughter Anna (in Germany). He was also predeceased by his second wife Mary Kytayko in 2014. He is survived by his first wife, mother of his children and life long friend Pearl Kytayko.
John lived a good, long and full life. Drafted into the Russian army in 1941 at 18 years of age, he was later captured and became a prisoner of war in Germany until freed by allied forces in 1945. There he met and married Pearl Kytayko before emigrating to Canada in 1949. John worked as an electrician although he was someone who could fix virtually anything. He worked hard and made a good life for himself and his family, ending his career as an electrician at Lakehead University. After retirement John and his wife Mary spent more than 20 years wintering in Northport, Florida. There they were active members in the local Ukrainian community and shared wonderful times with their many Florida friends. John loved to sing and spent many years as a member of the Fort William Ukrainian Male Choir and St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church Choir in Northport. John loved to travel and his adventures took him throughout Canada and many parts of the United States.
After many unsuccessful attempts to contact family in Transnistria and with the fall of the iron curtain in 1991, John was finally able to re-establish contact with his younger sister Anna. In 1992, he flew to Kiev, Ukraine and made his way to the Transnistria region. While there he spent time visiting Anna and other family members and took time to also tour various parts of Ukraine. He had not seen his sister in over 55 years. Surprisingly, he learned that in 1943 the Russian army had notified his parents that he had been killed in the war. They died never knowing that he was actually alive and living in Canada.
Many thanks to the management and caring staff of Southbridge Roseview for the excellent care they provided to John in his final years.
Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 5, 2022 in the Chapel of Harbourview Funeral Centre, presided by Rev. Fr. Pawel Berezniak of St. Volodymyr’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Interment in Riverside Cemetery will follow the reception. Visitation for family and friends will begin after 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to organizations supporting the current Ukrainian defence effort or a charity of your choice would be appreciated.
