THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM (08/09/98)

THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

Joseph Rodio, Ukrainian activist, UNA'er, dies in Ambridge at 77

by Nick Diakiwsky

AMBRIDGE, Pa. - Joseph Rodio, lifelong Ukrainian activist in the Pittsburgh area and borough government and community visionary, died unexpectedly on Saturday, July 11. He was 77.

Mr. Rodio was very active in all aspects of the Pittsburgh Ukrainian community and was very passionate about his Ukrainian heritage and community. Mr. Rodio was a dedicated member and benefactor of his parish, Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Ambridge. He was a long-time member of Ukrainian National Association Branch 161 which he served as the branch chaplain, leading the members in prayer during services for deceased members. He was the branch election chairman for many annual elections and ran the branch's pinochle league for many years.

Mr. Rodio always furnished the Ukrainian music and videos for Branch 161 social functions and enthusiastically introduced this part of the Ukrainian culture to many of the branch's second-, third- and fourth-generation members. In 1975 Mr. Rodio was instrumental in bringing Ukrainian actor Mike Mazurki to Ambridge for "Mike Mazurki Night" while Mr. Mazurki was in Pittsburgh performing in a stage production of "Guys and Dolls."

Mr. Rodio was always a vigorous participant at Pittsburgh UNA District Committee meetings, served on the UNA's 33rd Convention Committee and was a delegate to that convention.

Michael Komichak, director of the "Ukrainian Radio Program" stated: "Joe Rodio was proud of his Ukrainian heritage and he was a generous supporter of my 'Ukrainian Radio Program.' He enjoyed listening to Ukrainian music and would record my programs to supplement his collection. Mr. Rodio also attended Ukrainian concerts and Ukrainian civic gatherings in and around the campus of the University of Pittsburgh."

Mr. Rodio worked as the Ambridge borough secretary for 31 years and then for the Ambridge Water Authority for 17 years. During his tenure as borough secretary he effectively used his expertise in city planning and governmental operations to improve the borough and he once secured a five-year community development grant worth $5 million. In the borough he was known as "Mr. Ambridge."

The July 14 issue of the Beaver County Times reported: "If you walked by the old municipal building at night and saw a light burning, you could be sure Mr. Rodio was hard at work, working on the borough's financial books to a Ukrainian melody." He was also described in the article, written by former Ambridge Council President Roy Stubbins, "as being 110 percent Ukrainian."

Mr. Rodio served in the Pacific as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He earned a bachelor's degree from Kent State University and a master's degree from Duquesne University. He was head basketball coach at St. Veronica's High School in Ambridge and was involved in the formation of the Ss. Peter and Paul basketball program. He later coached the UNA Branch 161 team for the Ukrainian Youth League of North America. His teams went on to win nine consecutive junior and six consecutive senior championships.

He was a member of the executive board of the Ambridge Sports Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991 for his achievements in sports, coaching, promotion and community affairs.

Mr. Rodio was born April 29, 1921, in Ambridge, Pa., a son of the late Michael and Elena Kostyk Rodio. He is survived by two sisters and a brother-in-law, Mary Cybak, and Helen and Don R. Ostrowski, eight nephews and three nieces, and a lifelong dearest friend, Mary Matanic. He was preceded in death by four brothers, John, Michael, Theodore and William Rodio.

A funeral liturgy was conducted at Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church on July 15 by the pastor, the Rev. Michael Polosky, and interment took place at the church cemetery.

UNA continues teaching programs

The Ukrainian National Association's English Teachers for Ukraine Program and Summer Institute on Current Methods and Practices in TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) marked their seventh and sixth anniversaries, respectively, this year. The UNA received letters of gratitude for both programs from Minister of Education Mykhailo Zgurovskyi and Rector Ye. Kryzhanivskyi of the Ivano-Frankivsk State Technical University of Oil and Gas, which hosted the 1998 Summer Institute. Seen above are some of the participants of the English Teachers for Ukraine reunion/workshop held at Soyuzivka in April; below are some of the participants of the Summer Institute held in Ivano-Frankivsk in June.