Anatol "Tony" LUCENKO Sr

19 JAN 1936 - 13 FEB 2020

• BIRTH: 19 JAN 1936, Bohuslav, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine
• DEATH: 13 FEB 2020, Goshen, Elkhart, IN

• MARRIAGE: 15 NOV 1959, Pôrto Alegre, Acre, Brazil

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[N23553] Son of Fedir and Maria (Skidan) Lucenko

Anatol "Tony" Lucenko Sr.
January 19, 1936 - February 13, 2020

Anatol “Tony” Lucenko, Sr., 84, of Goshen passed away on Thursday, February 13, 2020 at his home with his loving wife and family by his side. He was born January 19, 1936 in the village of Bohuslav, region of Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine to Fedir and Maria (Skidan) Lucenko. On November 15, 1959 he married Zina Oliferenko in the city of Niteroi, Porto Alegre, Brasil and they celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary in 2019. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather and was cherished by his family. His wife Zina survives along with their 3 children, Elizabeth (Timothy) Dolan, Catherine (Laurent) Robic, Anatol (Oskana) Lucenko, Jr., grandchildren, Kristina, Roman, Bohuslav, Anastasia and Victor. Also surviving are his dear brother and sister, Alexander Lucenko and Olga Odinezenko, 3 Godchildren, and 11 nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his loving parents, his dear brother, Nicolai Lucenko and his niece. As a child, during WWII, Anatol’s parents and grandmother, Paraska (Ivashchenko) Lucenko escaped from Ukraine to Hanover, Germany. After the war ended, they moved to Porto Alegre, Brasil where he later met and married the love of his life, Zina. After immigrating to the United States, Chicago, IL, he and his wife and family would live in NYC and Brooklyn, NY prior to moving to Elkhart and then to Goshen, IN. He was a longtime member of the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Goshen, IN. Tony was instrumental in leading the effort, with the full support of the congregation, to establish the Ukrainian Genocide (Holodomor) Monument in Oakridge Cemetery in 1997. A community dedication was held to honor those who perished in the 1932 and 1933 famine.
In Porto Alegre, Brasil he worked for Varig Airlines as the Lead Engineering Aircraft Technician. In the U.S. he worked in the automotive industry for Mercedes-Benz in New Jersey and then in management for Riblet Product Industries in Elkhart. He was an entrepreneur in his own real estate and commercial transportation business ventures. He was an honest man and had a strong work ethic. Tony loved spending time with his family, playing cards with his brothers, brothers-in-law and friends. He also loved to play chess, fish and enjoyed the sport of soccer. Tony thoroughly followed the latest news of his home country of Ukraine and the U.S. and enjoyed lively discussions about both. He especially enjoyed the latest technology and was a life-long learner. He and his wife became U.S. Citizens. Visitation will be from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. with the funeral services beginning at 12-noon EST at Walley-Mills-Zimmerman Funeral Home Wednesday, February 19, 2020. Very Rev. Victor Poliarny will preside and burial will follow in Oakridge Cemetery in Goshen.