OBITUARY

Genevieve Zerebniak, 89, former UNA vice-presidentess

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - Genevieve Zerebniak, former supreme vice-presidentess of the Ukrainian National Association and former honorary member of the UNA General Assembly, died on February 11. She was 89.

Mrs. Zerebniak, née Zepko, was born on October 3, 1916. At the UNA Convention in 1941, at the age of 24, she was elected a supreme advisor. She was re-elected in 1946 (the convention was delayed by a year due to World War II).

At the next two UNA conventions (1950 and 1954), she was elected supreme vice-presidentess, becoming the first American-born UNA'er to be elected to the Supreme Executive Committee.

Due to family obligations, she declined to run for office at the 1958 Convention, but stated that she would continue to work for the good of the Ukrainian National Association.

Mrs. Zerebniak was active also in local UNA activities in Akron, Cleveland and Youngstown, Ohio. Most notably, she served as secretary of UNA Branch 180 in Akron from 1935 to 1997.

She also served on numerous national UNA committees, including the Cultural Committee, and was active in promoting the UNA's book publications to various youth groups.

As a UNA advisor and later as an executive officer, Mrs. Zerebniak focused much attention on the youth of the Ukrainian American community. In 1956, for example, she was very involved with the UNA Youth Rally held in Akron that attracted many American-born Ukrainians.

She was a strong proponent of the UNA's "investment in the development of future leaders," as she put it, through the Soyuzivka estate and the very successful Ukrainian Cultural Courses held there, as well as The Ukrainian Weekly, which was seen as a vehicle to reach younger generations and maintain their involvement in Ukrainian community life.

The UNA Convention in 1978 voted Mrs. Zerebniak an honorary member of the Supreme Assembly in recognition of her many years of service to the UNA.

In her hometown of Akron, Mrs. Zerebniak took advantage of opportunities to represent the UNA at state meetings of Greek, Swiss and Slovak fraternal organizations.

She was an activist also of the Ukrainian Youth League of North America, as well as the Ukrainian Junior League and Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Mrs. Zerebniak was predeceased by her husband, Harry. Surviving are her sons, Harry and John, with their spouses, Linda and Gretna; daughter, Ann; and grandchildren, Michael, Kimberly and Matthew.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, March 12, 2006, No. 11, Vol. LXXIV

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