Obituary of Osyp Martyniuk

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of our father and grandfather, Osyp Martyniuk. He lived an extraordinary life and influenced many as a husband, father, professor, mentor, friend, and grandfather. Osyp was born in Ceniv, Ukraine on July 17, 1931. He left his home country during World War II in the face of both Nazi and Soviet occupations, making it finally to New York City after time in the Augsburg Displaced Persons camp in Germany. In New York, he met the love of his life, Anna, to whom he was married for over 63 years. He earned his undergraduate degree at Oklahoma State University in architecture and began his career in Fort Worth, Texas. He returned to school to earn his MFA at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan and then worked in the firm of Glen Paulsen and Associates and the office of Minoru Yamasaki. At the latter office, he was on the team who designed the World Trade Center in New York and the Century City Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. In 1965 he decided to join academia and accepted a professorship in Architecture at Kent State University, where he taught until his retirement in 1996. Simultaneously, he earned his Ph.D. from the Ukrainian Free University in Munich, Germany, and created a firm with two of his colleagues to form McWilliams, Martyniuk, and Schidlowski Architects. Some of their work includes St. Josephat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Parma, St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Seven Hills, and the Huntington Bank on Main Street in Ravenna. Osyp also designed the Martyniuk family residence. Osyp was an ardent Ukrainian nationalist all his life. He was a member of numerous Ukrainian Nationalist and academic organizations and shared that influence with his friends and family. He was a member of Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church in Akron and was proud to see his children and grandchildren embrace their Ukrainian heritage as they grew up. Although he faced numerous medical issues, Osyp remained active in his family's lives and his Ukrainian community throughout his retirement. He passed away on Friday, July 26, 2019 after a brief illness, surrounded by his family. He is predeceased by his wife, Anna, and survived by his sons John (Renee) and Andrew and his daughters Maria (Dave) and Irene and grandchildren Katerina, Nicholas, Alexander, and Natalia. The calling hours will be Tuesday, July 30, 2019 from 5 pm to 8 pm at Anthony Kucko Funeral Home in Akron with a Divine Liturgy on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 at 10 AM at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church, 1866 Brown St., Akron OH 44301. He will be interred at St. Andrew Cemetery in Parma, OH. A wake will follow the interment. Donations in his memory can be made to Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church.