Eleanor Skuby - Memory Eternal

On Monday 6 October 2008 we had the funeral for our dear sister Eleanor Skuby. I can still hear her beautiful voice when she sang in the choir. Her voice was unique in my opinion and I will miss it.

The whole Skuby family was very special to me. Often Vladimir and Eleanor would give me rides home from church and they would go out of their way to drop me off at my apartment instead of at the Pentegon Metro Station. It mean at least 30 minutes out of their way. But this is what Christianity is all about.

When I moved to Baltimore after graduating from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, I had the wonderful experience of getting to know Mark and his family. We served together as officers in the Vladicon Chapter of the National "R" Club [FROC - Federated Russian Orthodox Clubs], except we called our club the "O" Club. "R" stood for Russian and "O" for Orthodox. Eventually FROC changed its name to FOCA, Federation of Orthodox Christian Clubs, I think.

At one point I was having a conversation with a neighbor who suddenly turned to me and said, "I'm tired of blacks thinking that we are accepted in white man's society. Take you, for example, you are not accepted in your church."

Less than a month later I was elected secretary of the parish council by the parish. Two women in the parish pleaded with me to accept the nomination and I could not turn down two beautiful women. Less than a month later than this I was elected secretary of the "O" Club and shortly thereafter I was elected recording secretary of the Colonial District of FROC.

The Skuby family was a blessing to me and we definitely miss Eleanor as we also miss Vladimir (Walter), her husband.

May their memory be eternal!

After the service I went to visit somebody at the Little Sisters of the Poor which is located between Catholic University and Archbishop John Carroll High School. I graduated from John Carroll. Also in the area is Holy Family Ukrainian Catholic Church which was my original exposure to the Byzantine Rite. However, at the time they were just off Illinois Avenue on the other side of Soldiers' Home. Then they moved to Blagden Avenue near 16th and Kennedy Streets.