Victor Melnychenko, 84, passed away unexpectedly of natural causes at his home on November 7, 2022. He was born in a village near Novoukrainka, Ukraine on February 8, 1938 to the late Nazar and Antonina Melnyczenko. Victor and his family immigrated to the United States of America in December 1950 as refugees of WWII, eventually settling in Wilmington, DE. He graduated from H. Fletcher Brown Vocational High School in 1956 and then earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Delaware in 1964.
Victor started working for the DuPont Company right after high school. His experiences there changed his life plans and inspired his college education. Victor spent his engineering career with DuPont, where he designed heating and ventilation systems for many of their facilities. He retired in 1991 after 33 years of service.
Victor was a very active parishioner with Saints Peter & Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the time of his family’s arrival in Wilmington until his passing. He enjoyed helping others, growing vegetables in his garden, singing in the choir and helping the parish make pierogies.
Victor is survived by his son Mark Anthony Melnychenko and his partner Jennifer Mensinger; he is also survived by three nephews, Walt Fat, Jerry Fat and Paul Fat and their extended families. He was preceded in death by his infant son, Michael Victor Melnychenko, and his sister, Walentyna Fat.
A viewing will be held on Monday, November 14 at Saints Peter & Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 1406 Philadelphia Pike, Wilmington, DE 19809 from 9:00 am to 10:00 am, with a funeral service to follow at 10:00 am. Burial will be at St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery in South Bound Brook, NJ, following the services.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to any of the following:
• Ukrainian Orthodox Church of USA: They have raised over $2 million to date to provide support to the current crisis in Ukraine. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=J6H8WN2ZJSY54 They work directly with bishops in Ukraine to coordinate purchase of supplies in support of the war’s victims and refugees.
• Humanitarian Aid to Victims of War in Ukraine: A fundraiser organized by the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee (UUARC). https://www.gofundme.com/f/humanitarian-aid-to-victims-of-war-in-ukraine UUARC has been helping Ukrainian refugees and other Ukrainians throughout the world since 1944.
• Church World Service (CWS): A multi-denominational organization formed in 1946, which has helped hundreds of thousands of refugees all over the world. https://cwsglobal.org/donate/ CWS sponsored the immigration of Victor’s family and continues to assist with the current crisis in Ukraine.
Memory Eternal (Vichnaya Pamyat) to Victor and his good works.
Arrangements by McCrery & Harra Funeral Homes
