It is with deep regret that we announce the passing on March 10, 2012, in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, in his 87th year, Mykola Plawiuk: He will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered by his wife of 64 years, Jaroslava “Helen”, his children Orest “Russ” (Wendy), Nestor (Mari), Ulana Price (Tim), and Oksana Fisher (Bob), his grandchildren Michael (Caroline), Daniel (Shauna), Andrew (Hayden), Matthew, Natalie, Jeremy, Andrea, Alex and Nadia, great-grandchildren Noah, Max, Cadence and Wesley as well as his brother Jaroslav and his family living in Ukraine. Mykola was born in Rusiv, Ukraine on June 5, 1925, son of Vasil and Maria. Mykola and Jaroslava met in Germany in 1945, married in 1948 and immigrated to Canada in 1949. They lived and worked in both Canada and the United States. Devoted son of the Ukrainian people, faithful Christian, President of the Ukrainian National Republic in Exile (1988-1992), exemplary community and political activist, Mykola Plawiuk: Leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, Chairman of the Oleh Ol’zhych Foundation, President of Olena Teliha Publishers – all three institutions headquartered in Kyiv, Ukraine where Mykola worked from 1992 to 2011. Prior to the proclamation of an independent Ukrainian state in 1991, parallel to his professional career, Mykola Plawiuk held prominent positions in Ukrainian diaspora community and political institutions: President of the Ukrainian National Federation of Canada (1956-66); Vice-President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (1966-71); Senior PLAST (Ukrainian Scout) leader; initiator and chief organizer responsible for the establishment in 1967 of the World Congress of Free Ukrainians (WCFU) in New York; Secretary General of the WCFU (1973-76); 1st Vice-President of the WCFU (1976-78); President of the WCFU (1978-80); elected Leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists in 1979; in June of 1988 elected Vice-President of the Ukrainian National Republic (UNR) in Exile, assuming the role of its President following the death of President Andriy Livytskyi in December of 1988. At a specially convened session of the Parliament of Ukraine in Kyiv on August 22, 1992, Mykola Plawiuk formally ceded his mandate, along with the state attributes and documents of the UNR, to the first President of independent Ukraine, Leonid Kravchuk, declaring that the restored Ukrainian state is the lawful successor to the Ukrainian National Republic. For his achievements in Ukrainian community and political affairs in the diaspora, Mykola Plawiuk was awarded the St. Volodymyr the Great Medal by the Ukrainian World Congress, and the Taras Shevchenko Medal by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. In 1993, via extraordinary decree by President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk, Mykola Plawiuk was made a citizen of Ukraine. In 1996, by presidential decree Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma conferred upon Mykola Plawiuk the State Order of Merit, III-rd Class “…for his personal contribution to the development of Ukrainian statehood, and his active community and humanitarian involvement….” In 2007, through presidential decree President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko conferred upon Mykola Plawiuk The Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st Class for his contributions as a “…public and political leader, President of the UNR in exile 1988-1992, for his selfless service to the Ukrainian people, and distinguished personal achievements in the revival of Ukraine’s independence."

Lying in state on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at the Ukrainian National Federation, 145 Evans Avenue, Toronto, with public visitation from 2-4 p.m. and 6:30-9 p.m. Panakhyda (Prayer Service) at 8 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, March 15, 2012 at Holy Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church, 419 Pearl Street, Burlington at 10 a.m. Interment at St. Volodymyr Cemetery, Oakville. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate charitable donations to the UNF Foundation (Paul Yuzyk Institute for Youth Leadership), 145 Evans Avenue, Toronto, M8Z 5X8 or at www.unfcanada.ca, or to The Olzhych Foundation (Ukrainian Student Scholarship Fund). 464 Symington Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6N 2W5.