In Memory of Olga Cirak

1
In Memory of Olga Cirak

• Prepared by
• Venu Kohli and Julia Kanashevich

2
Who was she?

• Assistant to the Master at Stong College from
  1973 until her passing in February 1992, at the
  age of 59
• Before that was the Programme Secretary in the
  Department of Graduate English
• Came to Stong for a new challenge

3

• Was totally dedicated to students
• Also known as Mama Stong
• Did not have children of her own but loved
  animals
• College became a second home to her

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What did she do?

• Did just about everything!
• Served on various committees
• Administer of the College Budget
• Arranged for most College functions
• Resource person
• Public relations within the University and the
  outside community

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What events did she coordinate?

• Inaugural banquet for Orest Subtelny
• Ukranian Studies Endowment Fund for History
• Theatre Seminar director Les Taniuk
• Inaugural Proc Memorial Lecture Series with
  Feodosii Humeniuk

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Inaugural Proc Memorial Lecture Series Glasnost
in Soviet Ukraine

• With the artist Feodosii Humeniuk

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What projects was she involved in?

• Tales of Heritage by Hedi Bouraoui
• Stong Historical Society
• Stong twentieth birthday
• Celebrating at Stong 100 Years of Ukrainian
  Settlement in Canada

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Tales of Heritage by Saul Field
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Celebrating at Stong 100 Years of Ukrainian
Settlement in Canada
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• Was very organized and efficient
• An admired colleague
• Pleasure to work with
• Very active participate in the York community

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Other Interests

• Among some of her interests were gardening,
  wallpapering, painting, knitting, needlework,
  dressmaking, gourmet cooking, and ethnic folk
  music.
• She also started her B.A. on a part time basis

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Awards

• March of 1981, she was one of the first
  recipients of the Ronald Kent Medal for her
  tireless devotion to the College and its students

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In her memory

• Former Junior Common Room renamed to the Olga
  Cirak Student Common Room
• Stong Alumni Bursary was also renamed the Olga
  Cirak Alumni Bursary in her honor