U.S. Citizen John Kovtunovich Retained Ties To His Russian Past

Everything about John Kovtunovich was strong, from his handshake to his spirituality, from his opinions to the values with which he raised his family.

Strongest of all was his love for his native Ukraine.

Although he emigrated in 1923 to Seattle from Harbin, China, where his family moved when the Soviet Union was formed, and became a U.S. citizen in 1929, Mr. Kovtunovich, of Russian ancestry, never lost his love for the Russian people, language or culture, or the Eastern Orthodox Church.

"His big deal was publishing the Russian Community Bulletin, which went to people all over," said his daughter, Kathi Merculief of Kirkland. "He published it 32 years. The month before his death he wrote a story saying he was ill."

At least as important to Mr. Kovtunovich, who died of heart failure May 7 at age 88, was the church.

"He was very proper, very religious and had a strong belief in God," said his daughter. "And he wanted his family to be like him."

He helped in the construction of Seattle's St. Spiridon Cathedral in 1938 and held parish-council offices. Mr. Kovtunovich helped organize the church's first English-speaking Sunday school and later taught in it.

His daughter recalled that in 1957 he organized a drive to make the Eastern Orthodox Church a major religion in Washington state.

"John was dedicated to the church," said Father Vadim Pogrebniak of St. Spiridon's. "He was a church reader, and he put that responsibility above every other.

"He was a pioneer, advocating the use of English and the change to the revised Julian calendar. He also fought for the tithing system. That ruffled a lot of people the wrong way, but now it's accepted."

Friend Jeanne Gerde recalled his work as former president of the Russian/American Society for Aid to Displaced Persons. He helped her family and other refugees displaced by World War II resettle in the U.S.

"John was the person who met us at the Greyhound station in Seattle in 1956," Gerde said.

Mr. Kovtunovich worked for the U.S. Post Office from 1941 to 1968. During World War II, he took a leave to enlist in the Navy as an interpreter for the Office of Naval Intelligence. He remained in the reserves and retired as a chief petty officer in 1968.

Besides his daughter, survivors include his wife of 61 years, Isabel Kovtunovich of Seattle; son and daughter-in-law, Ted and Marilyn Kovtunovich of Ashland, Ore.; son-in-law, Joe Merculief of Kirkland; sister, Anna Hitsenko; niece, Tamara Adams of Seattle; and three grandchildren.

Services have been held.