Praskovija Maksimovna Kozachuk

Praskovija Maksimovna Kozachuk, returned to her heavenly home on January 20, 2024, at the age of 96. Praskovija was predeceased by her brothers, Michael (who died during WWII), Peter and Ivan. She was born to Maksim and Tetyana Chernychenko in the village of Plisetsky, Kyiv region, Ukraine, on February 10, 1928. Her aunt Martha played a significant role in her life, raising her, and leading her to Christ. In 1946 she accepted Jesus Christ as her personal savior and was baptized. The following year, 1947, she moved to Kyiv to help rebuild the city after WWII and seek better life opportunities. It was there that she met her husband, Vasyl Kozachuk, at the church where they were both members. They got married on May 25, 1958, settled in Boyarka near Kyiv, and had four boys (the first two were lost during childbirth). Vasyl and Praskovija lived happily together for over 64 years until Vasyl passed away on January 18, 2023. Praskovija loved God and His church wholeheartedly, and had a deep love for people and community - never missing an opportunity to sit and talk with others, and share joy-filled conversation. She was very hospitable and charitable - her house was always open to host church gatherings and guests all throughout her life. She was strong and courageous in the face of adversity and persecution, forced to raise her two sons alone when her husband was arrested and sentenced to prison because of his leadership in church ministry during the communist era. She was very curious, loved gardening, fashion, and cooking, and always tried to create new recipes from whatever ingredients she had available at the time. Praskovija and Vasyl moved to the United States in August 1999 and became members of the local Ukrainian church of Santa Barbara, California. You could often find Praskovija reading her Bible, praying, and listening to Christian radio stations. She often expressed how appreciative she was for finding a loving community and creating many friends in the new country. She dedicated her time to collecting food, clothing, and other necessities and sending them in packages to Ukraine to help those in need. Praskovija was very loved and will be deeply missed by her two sons Peter (wife Irina) and Pavel (wife Dina) and her 4 grandchildren: Anna (husband Alex) Shapiro, Yekaterina Kozachuk, Filipp (wife Alexandra) Kozachuk and Jessica (husband Kyle) Stangland, and her two great-grandchildren - Benjamin and Daniel Shapiro. Praskovija loved each member of her family very much and was always excited to spend time with them. She was very involved and insisted on staying up to date with what was going on in their lives. Her face would light up each time she was visited by her grandchildren or great-grandchildren and she never wanted them to leave. The Funeral service to celebrate Praskovija Kozachuk’s life will be held at Ukrainian Baptist Church of Santa Barbara at 150 Pebble Hill Pl, Santa Barbara, CA 93111, on January 30, 2024 at 10:00am, followed by a graveside service and a burial at 12:00pm at the Goleta Cemetery. The Kozachuk family is very grateful to everyone who visited and cared for Praskovija in her last years. Specifically, members of the Ukrainian Baptist church, all caregivers, doctors and nurses, and the staff of Mission Park nursing home. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to First Ukrainian Baptist Church of Santa Barbara or delivered to Welch-Ryce-Haider Funeral Home, 15 E. Sola Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93111.

Praskovija Maksimovna Kozachuk

February 10, 1928 - January 20, 2024