November 14, 1939 – June 4, 2022

Ihor Kuryliw was a patriotic Ukrainian who kept a bust of Ivan Franko in his living room, with an orange Maidan scarf draped around the statue’s neck. A long-time member of SVI, he was an integral part of the Prut River Boys, a group of men who raised funds for SVI through carolling.    

Ihor passed away peacefully after a tenacious 4 year battle with cancer. He was deeply loved by, and will be missed by his wife of 52 years, Valentina (Mychajlowska), son Peter (Melissa Russell), daughter Ulyana (Daniel Kuzmycz) and granddaughter Nina, as well as his sisters Sonia and Oksana (John Leeson) and his sister-in-law Lydia (Daniel Huzyk).

Ihor was born and raised in Sudbury where he taught History and Music at Lasalle Secondary School. He moved to Toronto in 1973 and became a partner in Bloor Travel Agency. Throughout his life, Ihor was active in the Ukrainian Toronto community and an engaged member of SVI. He was a talented musician who played the violin, bandura, alto horn and piano. He also loved to sing and his lovely tenor added a melodic quality to the Prut River Boys for many years,  sharing the joy of the Christmas season with SVI supporters. His fellow singers remember him as a lively man who liked to keep moving and whose extensive knowledge of Ukrainian Canadian cultural life sparked many interesting conversations.  

An extensive interview recorded in 2017 with Ihor about his life, for the Oral History of Ukrainian Canada project, Ukrainian Canadian Research and Documentation Centre. can be found here.

The family has requested donations in Ihor's memory be made to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal
www.cufoundation.ca/.

May his memory be eternal! Вічная пам'ять!