Remembering John and Elizabeth “Beth” Patnychuk
John Patnychuk, a native of Pennsylvania, was a member of St. Nicholas prior to 1956 when he and Beth were married by Father Arkady Moiseyev before the upper structure of the church was completed. Beth, a native of Alabama, converted to Orthodoxy from Southern Baptist shortly before they married. Both their children, Stephanie and David, were baptized at St. Nicholas. Beth and John were quiet, dedicated parishioners for over 30 years and seldom missed Liturgy even though they lived over an hour’s drive away. Beth taught Sunday school for several years, they both helped clean the church, and John helped mow the lawn. Beth worked at the annual Bazaar for many, many years, especially helping Olga Halesky sell the hundreds of pinecone wreaths she made. John and Beth remained members of St. Nicholas until shortly after John retired as a Language Analyst for the National Security Agency.
They moved to Pennsylvania in 1987 and attended Saint Catherine Orthodox Church in Hagerstown, MD and Christ the Savior Orthodox Church in Harrisburg, PA. Wanting to live closer to an Orthodox parish, they advertised in their local paper to gauge area interest. In 1995, along with a handful of others of diverse Orthodox backgrounds, they became founding members of St. Mary Orthodox Church (Antiochian Archdiocese) in Chambersburg, PA. John passed away at home in Chambersburg at the age of 76 on February 2, 2000. He was a veteran of World War II serving in the U.S. Army.
Beth, a homemaker most of her life, could often be found working in her yard and garden although she most enjoyed spending time with family and friends, and fully participating in the life of the Church. She was always willing to help where needed and among her many contributions to St. Mary were working with the Antiochian Women, serving on the Parish Council, providing outreach to the sick, and sponsoring new members. She was delighted to live just a few blocks from church and was often enlisted to be there when others couldn’t. She loved her faith and asked to attend all the classes for catechumens saying that she learned just a little bit more each time. Beth had such a quiet, peaceful spirit that naturally drew others to her. She was godmother to numerous infants as well as new adult members who came into the Orthodox faith. She had a cherished collection of Ukrainian pysanky (Easter eggs), as well as a large collection of unique bookmarks, many of which were religious. Sadly, Beth was killed at the age of 85 in a pedestrian accident in Chambersburg on June 26, 2018 while crossing the street to a jewelry store to have her chain repaired for the cross she always wore. Both John and Beth are buried in St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church cemetery in Hawk Run, PA. Memory Eternal.
