Olga Sawchuk

Olga Sawchuk (née Gladyshowska), of Kerhonkson, NY, passed away on Sunday, July 7, 2024 at the age of 94. Olga was born on October 30, 1929 in Tyskowa, Ukraine; she was the daughter of the late Alexander and Natalia (Korduba) Gladyshowsky. 

Uprooted from their home by World War II, Olga completed her high school education in the Displaced Persons Camp in Berchtesgaden, Germany. Olga was a proud Ukrainian, and to her dying days she was concerned about her native country, which she was forced to leave at age 15 as a refugee, and its fight for freedom. 

Olga, along with her parents and sister, Nadia, immigrated to the United States and the family settled in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She often told the story of how they arrived in Bethlehem on Friday and by Monday she and her sister were employed. Olga worked as a nanny for the Laros family. 

Olga’s family moved to New York City to be closer to the Ukrainian community and lived in Brooklyn. In 1954, Olga married her now-departed husband, Zen Sawchuk. She was employed by the Bulova watch company for many years until moving to Kerhonkson in 1962.

Olga was a force – solid, steady, concerned and respected. She brought consistent love, laughter, and perspective to hundreds especially at the Log Cabin, the restaurant she and Zen operated for over 40 years. Generations of Ukrainians and Kerhonkson locals found sympathy and heard some great life lessons while eating borscht and varenyky over the bar.

Olga found a sense of peace in the mountains and would sometimes visit Minnewaska early in the morning with her cherished cup of coffee. 

Olga always opened her doors and her heart, and it was not unusual for someone that she had met who didn’t have anywhere else to go to join our family Thanksgivings and Christmases. Guests were always welcome!

Family and community were very important to Olga and she would give her all for those she loved. Olga was actively involved in many facets of the Ukrainian community: as a member of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization (She served as leader of the Kerhonkson branch, and was a member of the Pershi Stezhi sorority.), on Self Reliance Credit Union committees, as a parishioner of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church, and as a member of Soyuz Ukrainok Ameryky – The Ukrainian National Women’s League of America (UNWLA).

Olga was known for welcoming newly arrived refugees and immigrants and would help in any way she could, whether it was locating a place for them to live, signing children up for local schools, or offering a friendly smile and tips for adjusting to their new environment. 

Olga was predeceased by her parents, Alexander and Natalia (Korduba) Gladyshovsky, her husband of 67 years, Zen Sawchuk, who passed away in 2021, her sister Nadia (Gladyshovsky) Shmigel, niece Shanya, and nephew Boris.

She is survived by her daughters, Roxolana Sawchuk (Driss Zoukhri) and Natalka Sawchuk (Chris Blay); granddaughters, Julia and Isis; nieces Christina Shmigel (Patrick Moreton), Christina Lonkewycz, Dana Lenec, Alexandra Dutka and Christina Synyshyn; nephew Peter Shmigel (Suzanne Houweling); grandnieces Arianna, Alana, and Pixie; grandnephews Nicholas and Tim, and their families.

Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, July 11, 2024 from 4 to 7 pm at Humiston Funeral Home, Kerhonkson. The Panakhyda will begin at 5:30 pm that evening. The Divine Liturgy will be celebrated on Friday, July 12th at 10 am at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church, Kerhonkson. Burial at Pine Bush Cemetery, Kerhonkson.

The family extends their heartfelt appreciation to neighbors Valentyna and Ruslana, and gratefully acknowledges the care that Olga received from the compassionate staff at Meadows at Brookmeade Nursing Home where she resided the final years of her life.

Memorial contributions may be made in Olga’s name to Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church, 211 Foordmore Rd., Kerhonkson, NY 12446; “Scouts for Ukraine” by mail to Plast Conference Inc., P.O. Box 491, Princeton Junction, N.J., 08550 (https://aid.plastusa.org/plast-usa-aid-for-ukraine-scouts-for-ukraine-donate/); and Razom (https://www.razomforukraine.org/donate/).