On November 9, 2019, John Basil Margitich passed away peacefully with his loving family by his side after his courageous battle with cancer. John is survived by his devoted family: his wife of 36 years, Caroline Margitich; daughter, Sarah (Murray) Howell; son, Jacob Margitich; sister, Illona (Ernie) Leugner; niece, Barbara (Jeff) Zaboroski; nephew, David Leugner; and extended family from the United States.

Predeceased by his grandparents, William and Anna Margitich and Charles and Katherine Sevak; father and mother, Right Reverend John Margitich (1991) and Matushka Helen Margitich (1994). The family would like to thank the staff from the Cross Cancer Institute and Unit 5F4 of the University of Alberta Hospital for their compassionate care given to John.

A Panikhida (Prayer Service) was conducted on Friday, November 15 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Barbara’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral, 10105 – 96 Street, Edmonton.

Divine Liturgy and Funeral Service were conducted on Saturday, November 16 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Barbara’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral. Officiating and conducting the services were Rev. Igor Kisil, Rector of St. Barbara’s Cathedral; V. Rev. Evgeniy Protsenko, priest of Orthodox 9 Parishes; Archpriest Mircea Panciuk (Romanian Orthodox Church); archpriest Vitalie Manoli (Orthodox Church of Moldova) and deacon Andrei Boldireff (Patriarchal Parishes) with interment in St. Barbara’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral Cemetery in Nisku, AB (five kilometers west of Highway 2 on Highway 19).

The church choir, under the direction of Alexander Holden sang hymns and responses in English and Slavonic. The singing of the choir was so beautiful that it felt like the members of the choir gave their very best to John in that last farewell moment, paying special tribute to him for his many years of dedication to the cathedral choir.

After the service, a funeral luncheon took place in the St. Barbara’s Cathedral basement.

After the lunch, the eulogy was given by John’s daughter Sarah. Also, Mr. Roman Lopushinsky, President of St. Barbara’s Cathedral and Secretary of the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada, spoke on behalf of the church board and parishioners of the Cathedral, expressing his sympathy to the family and commending John’s activities for different church organizations.

John was born into a priest family – to Father John and matushka Helen Margitich in the United States on August 25, 1946.

In 1956, his Father Very Rev. John was appointed as a missionary priest and as the rector of St Barbara’s parish in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

John, together with his parents and his sister Illona, came to Canada when he was only 10 years old.

John loved church music – he lived by this and always had a deep concern about church singing and our cathedral choir.

Since 1965, John has led the congregation’s singing in the Sunday morning Pro-Liturgy services celebrated in the English language and also lead tenor in the cathedral choir for many years. He repaired many old music books and spent countless hours repairing the pages and printing in letters and words that had faded away. He led the small church choir singing the Divine liturgies for the feast days on the week days and Saturdays.

During his earthly life John met a lot of people and touched many lives. He was an altar attendant. He was a cantor, he was a church singer and you can imagine how many funerals, weddings, baptisms, anniversary celebrations and graveyard services he attended to help with the singing.

For his devoted service and dedication to St. Barbara’s Cathedral and the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada, John was awarded with different church awards.

Over the last few years, John was incurably ill, but he bore his sickness with great patience and courage and he did not lose his faith in God and his Divine Providence, he did not lose heart, he did not give up, but he put his life and his fate on the Lord’s will and in the Lord’s hands instead.

Through his suffering, through his confession, through the receiving of Holy Communion, he prepared himself in the proper way for the worthy meeting with Jesus Christ and his Eternal Kingdom. Before the end, John had the last rite and received Holy Communion. His death was indeed peaceful and Christian.

The fond memory of a faithful servant of God, John Margitich will live on in the memories and hearts of those many people, our parishioners who knew John, respected him and loved him so much.

The many people who came to St. Barbara’s Cathedral to pray for the soul of the newly-departed servant John was the best witness of the great love and deep respect that John earned when he was still alive.

John will be missed by his family, friends, clergy and the parishioners of St. Barbara’s Cathedral and all the faithful of the Patriarchal Parishes very much. May John be remembered as he was and may we hold dear the memories that we have of him. He was a true and genuine pillar of The Faith and The Orthodox Church.

On the behalf of His Grace Matthew, Bishop Sourozh, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada, the clergy, all parishioners of St. Barbara‘s Cathedral and the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada, we extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the Margitich family in the loss of their husband, father, father-in-law, brother and uncle John Margitich, who passed away on November 9, 2019.

In a blessed falling asleep, grant, O Lord, eternal rest unto Thy newly-departed servant John and make his memory to be eternal! Vеchnaya рamyat! Вечная память!

Submitted by V.Rev. Igor Kisil,
Rector of St. Barbara’s Cathedral,
Dean of the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada