Walter Dmytryszyn Don

Walter Dmytryszyn Don, 93, of Syracuse, passed away Wednesday, September 27, 2017. On September 1, 1924, a son was welcomed into the world by proud parents, Mykola and Anna Dmytryszyn in a village in Western Ukraine. They named their son Wolodymir "Walter" and thus began his journey of a thousand steps. Walter had a typical childhood and often shared his stories which showed his mischievous nature, sense of humor and skillful wordplay. At the age of 15, he was forced to leave his home and was unable to return for 50 years. He joined the Ukrainian Partisan Army and survived years of warfare with little training and few supplies. Near the end of WWII, Walter and the five remaining comrades of his troop embarked on a trek from the Carpathian Mountains to the free zone in Austria. Against all odds, they were successful and he eventually got placed at a displaced persons camp in Stuttgart, Germany. While there, Walter became acquainted with his life partner, Eugenia. In 1949, Walter emigrated to the United States and worked several jobs over the next few years moving from New Jersey to New York City until settling in Syracuse. Walter worked as a waiter, baker's assistant and worked on an assembly line at General Motors. In 1952 he married Eugenia and sponsored her and her family to come to the United States. Walter and Eugenia recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. After being laid off from General Motors, Walter decided to buy a corner grocery store in the hopes that it would provide a more stable means of support for his growing family. The year was 1961 and at the time, Walter and Eugenia had two children and a third was on the way. A few years later he expanded the corner grocery store and received training as a meat cutter and specialized in Eastern European meats and smoked sausages. The business was known as the Blue Ribbon Market and was a landmark for 39 years on the west side of Syracuse. Walter was very proud of what he had accomplished in his lifetime. He served on the Board of Directors for the Self Reliance Credit Union for several terms. Walter instilled a strong sense of love and family in his children and grandsons. He also valued education, a strong work ethic and love for his country. He embodied the American dream and loved his adopted country. Walter made sure that his children learned to speak Ukrainian and were as proud of his beloved Ukrainian heritage as he was. Over the years, he had been asked by several people to write a memoir of his time spent in the Ukrainian Partisan Army during the war. Walter always declined politely and privately said that the real heroes were the ones who didn't make it home.

Surviving are his wife of 65 years, Eugenia; children, Lilli Rastegar, Julian Dmytryszyn and Christina (Michael) Levchuck; and grandsons, Nicholas and Daniel Rastegar and Walter and Peter Levchuck.

Relatives and friends may call Friday, September 29 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Buranich Funeral Home, 5431 W. Genesee St., Camillus.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated Saturday, September 30 at 8:30 a.m. in St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, 207 Tompkins St., Syracuse. Walter will be laid to rest in St. Luke's Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery, Warners.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Wounded Warriors Project, 4899 Belfort Rd., Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256.