Julia Prokopik (nee Hajdukewycz) was born on October 20, 1932 in the village of Siltse, Pidhaitsi township, Ternopil region, to Luka and Maria Hajdukewycz (nee Pekarksa). She had an older brother, Volodymyr Furda, who died fighting as a partisan in the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) in Berezhany in 1947.

She is survived by her younger sister, Ivanna Fedyk (nee Hajdukewycz). Though she had no children of her own, she was never without the love and affection of her niece and nephews, grand nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her brother-in-law Roman Fedyk, her niece Julia Szyszka, nephews, Roman Fedyk and Adrian Fedyk, and her grand nieces and nephews: Larissa Szyszka, Stephen Szyszka, Lucas Fedyk, Mateko Fedyk, Nina Fedyk, Deanna Fedyk, and Max Fedyk, and other relatives in the US and Ukraine.

In 1947, when the German-Soviet front was passing through Pidhaitsi, the family fled to a temporary safer location. They were never to see their beloved home again. Her family ended up in Bayreuth, Germany in a displaced persons camp. Her father was taken away to the front in Dresden, but eventually made his way back to his family. In Bayreuth she attended school and was a member of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization.

She arrived along with her family in New York City on March 15, 1949. As an 18 year-old, she immediately found work as a seamstress at the Bloomer Company and attended Stuyvesant High School in the evenings to learn English. She subsequently found work demonstrating sewing machines for The Singer Corporation, and then worked at various exclusive boutiques in Manhattan. While working at Razooks at the Plaza hotel she once fitted a gown on Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Julia was a vivacious, pretty girl that enjoyed dancing and going out with friends. In New York, she met the late Samuel Prokopik, and they were married in December of 1952 at St. George’s Ukrainian Catholic Church. The newlyweds moved to Atlanta, Georgia where Sam attended Georgia Tech University and majored in Architecture. Julia worked as a manager of a dress shop and always remained a fan of Georgia Tech football.

Upon Sam’s graduation, they returned to New York and lived in Astoria. He started a career as an architect at the Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, while Julia worked at various boutiques in Philadelphia, as well as for Saks Fifth Avenue and The Blum Store.

They were long time parishioners of Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Clifton Heights, PA. Sam was the architect of the new church building and both were long time members of the church choir.

Later in life, Julia suffered from various health problems: she was diabetic for over 30 years. She was the sole caregiver for her ailing husband the last 17 years of his life. Upon his passing, she moved to Rising Sun, Maryland to be closer to her sister, Ivanna.

Julia always said that she went through hell during World War Two, and landed in heaven when she arrived in the United States, and could not have imagined a better life for herself. She was cared for in her final years by her sister, brother in law, Roman Fedyk, niece Julia and nephew Adrian. She will be greatly missed.