OBITUARY: Stefan Terlezki, 78, first Ukrainian-born British MP (05/14/06)

OBITUARY: Stefan Terlezki, 78, first Ukrainian-born British MP

TORONTO - The first Ukrainian-born member of the British Parliament, Stefan Terlezki, passed away on February 21, at the age of 78, reported the Toronto-based newspaper New Pathway.

Born in the Ukrainian village of Oleshiv and brought up in Antonivka, he was forcibly removed by the Nazis at the age of 14 to work as a slave laborer in Austria. At the end of the war he escaped capture by the Soviet Army, found his way to a British Army camp and subsequently arrived in Britain penniless in 1948.

He settled in Wales, where he worked as a miner and later in a bakery and in hotels. He then bought his own hotels in Aberstwyth and Cardiff.

Through sheer hard work and an indomitable spirit he became a prominent local businessman, local councilor and chairman of the Cardiff Football Club. In 1983 he was elected as MP for Cardiff West in Margaret Thatcher's government and served his constituents with vigor and determination. He also served as an advisor to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on matters relating to Ukraine, as the personal representative of Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd, and on the Advisory Board of International Politics at the University College of Wales in Aberystwyth.

The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain noted that, throughout his political career and irrespective of his numerous responsibilities, Mr. Terlezki never ceased to promote the plight of Ukraine and other Captive Nations before the fall of the Iron Curtain and Ukraine's declaration of independence in 1991. His message was simple: he demanded justice, freedom and democracy for all the subjugated nations of Europe. During the 1980s he presented motions to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasburg on the right to self-determination of Ukraine and Poland, and he delivered a major speech on the same subject before the Parliamentary Assembly about the Baltic states.

He chaired or was a member of many diverse committees. Within the Ukrainian community he was very proud to be a member of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain and he served with distinction on the association's board of directors from June 1993 until his death.

The association's General Council wrote of Mr. Terlezki: "His knowledge, deeply held support for freedom and democracy and good-nature won him respect and many friends both at home and abroad. Amongst his many friends were highly ranked politicians, public dignitaries, church and community leaders."

Mr. Terlezki was awarded various awards, including Her Majesty the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal, in recognition of his services to the public and to sport in Wales. In 1992, in recognition of his political and public services to the U.K., he received the honor of Commander of the British Empire (CBE) from the queen.

In 2002 HTV (Wales) screened a one-hour documentary which followed Mr. Terlezki's life's journey from his native village in Ukraine to the U.K. Last year his autobiography "From War to Westminster" was released and launched at both the Welsh National Assembly and in the Houses of Parliament.

He is survived by his wife, Mary, and their two daughters, Caryl and Helena.

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Stefan Terlezki's autobiography "From War to Westminster" is available by contacting: Vanwell Publishing Ltd., PO Box 2131, 1 Northrup Crescent, St. Catharines, ON M2R 7S2; e-mail, sales@vanwell.com; telephone, (905) 937-3100 or 800-661-6136. This book is also available online at www.amazon.com.

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