Phyllis Stapay 1923-2020

She was born May 3, 1923, in Novosilki, Lviv Region, Ukraine.

A longtime member of Holy Trinity Church in Youngstown and member of several Ukrainian fraternal and service organizations, Phyllis Triska grew up in Ukraine.

She met her husband, Michael, at a refugee camp in Regensburg, Germany at the end of the World War II, married, and they immigrated to the United States and settled in Youngstown, close to friends and relatives.

Phyllis was an excellent seamstress and embroidery craftswoman and worked for several firms in the Youngstown area, practicing her craft while husband, Michael, was employed at a steel mill. She also created apparel and other works for her family and instilled the art of Ukrainian cooking and tradition in daughters Mary and Ann.

Phyllis loved music and dancing, had a wonderful voice, and often sang Ukrainian songs well into her later years. After raising her children and becoming a widow, Phyllis spent several years in a small town in the Catskills area of New York, close to Ukrainian settlements and resorts. She returned to central Ohio to live with her daughters and their families and enjoyed frequent travel back to her homeland.

Phyllis is survived by daughters, Mary (George) and Ann (Michael); and by beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Phyllis was preceded in death by her husband, Michael Stapay; her parents; and her siblings.

A Mass for Phyllis will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 24, 2020, at Holy Trinity Byzantine Catholic Church in Youngstown, with the Rev. Lubomyr Zhybak, celebrant.

Interment thereafter will be in St. John Cemetery in (Campbell) Youngstown. To leave online condolences visit www.schoedinger.com.

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