COHOES Oksana Ciupka, 71, entered into eternal life Sunday, April 30, 2023 at Albany Medical Center.
Born in Cohoes, Oksana was a lifelong resident of the city. She was the daughter of Irene Maciuk Halibej of Cohoes and the late Stephan Halibej. She was educated in St. Peter & St. Paul’s School, Cohoes High School and received her nursing degree from Maria College. Oksana was a caring spirit who always enjoyed helping others. She worked as a registered nurse with the Eddy Visiting Nurses Assoc. in Troy until her retirement.
Oksana was an active member of St. Peter & St. Paul’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Cohoes. Her faith was very important to her, and she had a special devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. She belonged to Soyuz Ukrainok Women’s Organization, St. Peter & St. Paul’s Sodality and church choir, the Ukrainian dance group as well as Plast Ukrainian International Scouting Organization. She was also a member of the Cohoes Ukrainian American Club.
She was known for her green thumb and enjoyed spending time in her vegetable garden and tending to her flowers with her daughter and mother. She loved her cats as well as taking trips to the beach in Bolton Landing along with vacations to Maine with Katrina.
Oksana loved her family above all else. She was the loving mother of Katrina Ciupka (Chad Secor) of Cohoes; the beloved sister of Michael N. Halibej (Oksana) of Cedar Knolls, NJ and Bohdan S. Halibej of Bolton Landing; and the grandmother of Natalia Secor who was just born in April. She is also survived by her niece and Goddaughter, Christine Halibej; her nephew, Stephan Halibej (Alexandra); her great nephew, Chase Michael Halibej as well as her former husband, Petro Ciupka.
Funeral services will be held Thursday at 10:15 a.m. from the Fitzgerald Funeral Home, 105 Vliet Blvd., Cohoes and at 11 a.m. in St. Peter & St. Paul’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, Cohoes. Interment will follow in St. Peter & St. Paul’s Cemetery, Waterford.
Relatives and friends may visit at the funeral home Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. A Panakhyda service will be held in the funeral home at 6 p.m.
Those wishing to remember Oksana in a special way may make contributions to Soyuz Ukrainok, Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, 203 2nd Ave., New York, NY 10003 (unwla.org), to help with humanitarian aid in Ukraine.