Obituary of Olga W. Pidluski

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Olga Pidluski. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and a committed member of the church community at Saint Mary’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She passed away peacefully on January 18th, 2024, at the age of 96, at the Mozaic Jewish Home in Bridgeport.

Olga Pidluski (née Wairy), was born on July 26th, 1927 in Stratford, Connecticut, to Ukrainian-immigrant parents, Nicholas and Mary (née Terlecka). Olga was the youngest of four daughters; she maintained a close bond with her sisters, Pearl, Ann, and Helen, until their passing. She

grew up in Stratford, where she graduated from Stratford High School in 1945. After high school, she worked for the aircraft manufacturer Chance Vaught. On October 22nd, 1950, she married the love of her life, Harry Pidluski, who shared her Stratford roots and Ukrainian

heritage. They birthed a son and daughter, Gregory and Carol, and built a brookfront ranch home in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Olga was a loving, devoted, and generous matriarch to her family. As a child of the Great Depression, a woman who came of age during the Second World War, and a lifelong Christian, she was selfless in her generosity to the ones she loved. She showed her love in thoughtful gestures, dropping off delicious homemade soup to sick family members, sharing impeccably baked goods, finely knit blankets and sweaters, freshly picked berries, and too-good-to-pass-up sale items from the grocery store (a trait she picked up from Harry). Every time she did so, we felt her love. She was an avid and award-winning gardener, winning a prize for her miniature daffodils from People’s Bank. She was a marvel in the kitchen, and her apple pie was exceptional. She loved to travel, particularly to Cape Cod in the summer, where she picked blueberries, antiqued, and ate lobster. She traveled across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. She was an animal lover and a loving caretaker to her dogs, Candy, Cher, and Max. She tolerated cats.

Olga served as the President of the Sisterhood at Saint Mary’s, where she baked countless paska (Easter bread), and cooked pyrohy (pronounced “pedaheh”) and holubtsi (stuffed cabbage). She was an artisan of many Ukrainian folk crafts, including pysanky (Ukrainian Easter Eggs), and traditional Ukrainian dance. She was a gifted knitter and seamstress, and a hobbyist beader.

Olga is survived by her daughter, Carol Wacker; her son and daughter-in-law, Gregory and Pamela Pidluski; her grandchildren, Michelle Hudson, Melissa Kulyk, Christopher Wacker, Eric Pidluski, and Patrick Wacker; her great-grandchildren, Richard Kulyk, Abigail Hudson, Timothy Kulyk, Harrison Kulyk, and Eleanor Hudson; and grandchildren-in-law, Matthew Hudson, Nathaniel Kulyk, Paola Wacker, and Sandra Quintero. She was predeceased by her husband, Harry; and her son-in-law, Wolfgang Wacker. We would like to give special thanks to Father Steve for his kindness and prayers throughout the years.

Calling hours will be held on Monday, January 22, 2024 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. in the Lesko Funeral Home, 1209 Post Road, in Fairfield Center. Funeral services will be held at 12:00 p.m. at St. Mary's Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 10 Oakwood Street, Bridgeport. Interment will follow at St. John's Cemetery, Stratford.

In lieu of flowers, Olga requested donations be made to Saint Mary’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church or Mozaic Senior Life, 4200 Park Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604.