Larissa Kyj was born March 17, 1950, in Munich, Germany. Her parents, Maria and Evhen Lozynskyj, were part of a large group of Ukrainian war refugees awaiting resettlement in Post-war Europe. Her father survived a series of death-defying episodes first as a political prisoner in the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp and then the 1945 prisoner Death March before the arrival of the Allies. The family was sponsored by the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee (UUARC) for immigration to America; Larissa spent her first birthday on Ellis Island. Her smiling face, under the title “Young Arrival”, was featured in The New York Post.
The Ukrainian Village section of lower Manhattan became her new home. She attended St. George’s Ukrainian Catholic Elementary School and high school at St. Michael’s Academy. Throughout these years, she was an active member of the Ukrainian American Youth Organization. She was an excellent student at Fordham University where she studied economics and afterwards was accepted by Columbia University for her doctoral work. Throughout her university years she was an active member of Ukrainian student clubs and academic organizations writing articles for a student publication focusing on the Ukrainian dissident movement in The Soviet Union.
She met her husband, Myroslaw, in 1973 on a blind date for a New Year’s Eve party in New York City. They were married September 7, 1974. In the span of ten years, she had three children, completed doctoral course requirements, and successfully defended her thesis. Throughout her life she was a loving mother always interested in her children’s moral, religious, academic, and social development. For her daily life consisted of the doing little things that summed together made a difference. She drove her children and grandchildren to Ukrainian preschool, camps and Ukrainian Saturday School thereby immersing them in their heritage. She was a loving grandmother who during the pandemic sat with her grandson Nikolas navigating online kindergarten classes. Larissa was hardly a sports fan but attended her boys’ football and basketball games along with daughter Lada’s volleyball matches.
Larissa was an active member of her church choir. Professionally, she taught accounting for over 25 years at Rowan University and was an accomplished researcher. Added to mother, wife, educator was her lifelong activism in Ukrainian affairs. She served for many years as president of the organization that sponsored her family. Larissa spent many hours putting into action the organization’s slogan of “Brother-to-Brother” humanitarian assistance both in America and Ukraine. Larissa traveled to all corners of Ukraine by plane, train, and automobile to identify humanitarian needs that UUARC could fund and evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs. Through her efforts potential large donors were identified and major financial support enabled UUARC to sustain and expand programs. Locally programs like citizenship classes helped integrate immigrants into American society. In Ukraine the adopt a grandmother/grandfather program linked American donors with specific needy individuals. The expanding scope of UUARC’s work necessitated additional resources. Larissa’s knowledge of financial instruments guided the organization to professionalize its money management and donor engagement. She was recognized for her service to Ukraine by presidents Victor Yushchenko and Petro Poroshenko. President Volodymyr Zelensky, in 2022, awarded her The Order of Princess Olha 3rd class for her distinguished humanitarian service.
Larissa was stricken June 1, 2021, with a brain tumor. She underwent three major surgeries, radiation therapy and repeated stays in a rehabilitation facility. She came home to be with her husband, children, and grandchildren. She had precious moments when she could interact and smile at her youngest grandchild, Julian. She died September 6th, in the presence of her family and friends.
Larissa is survived by:
Husband: Myroslaw J. Kyj
Son: Olesh Kyj, (Jessica); Roman and Christian
Daughter: Lada Kyj-Salonidis; Nikolas, Lydia and Maria
Son: Evhen Kyj (Nicole); Julian
Brother: Askold Lozynskyj (Roksolana); Maksym and Kyra
Her Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, September 11th at 10am at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church 800 W. Lea Blvd. Wilmington, DE 19802. Friends and family are invited for visitation on Sunday evening from 6-8 pm at the Carr Funeral Home 935 S. Providence Rd. Wallingford, PA 19086, and again on Monday morning from 9-10am in Church. Burial will follow in St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery in South Bound Brook, NJ.
Donations in her memory can be made to UUARC (www.uuarc.org)
The Ukrainian Free University Foundation (www.ufuf.org)
Ukrainian American Youth Association UAYA (Venmo@CYMPhilly)