Individual Details
Evan "John" MOTYKA
(17 Jan 1918 - 1 Aug 2002)
Evan (John) Motyka was born in the village of Stanela (Stenilla) in the Ukraine on 17 January 1918 to parents Maria and Daniel. John was the youngest of eight children. He had 2 brothers and five sisters. He spent all of his younger life in the village, going to school and working on his Father's farm. As a teenager he stayed on the farm working with his father until 1943.
At this point war intervened and John was taken by the invading German's to work in the industrial cities of Germany. Firstly, he worked as a coal miner and later as a fitter in the mine until the end of the war.
The Americans housed many of the now displaced persons in camps as they took control of Germany and it was in the Camp at Ilungun where, John first met his wife Maria. They married in Germany in 1948 and in 1949 embarked, with a large number of other families, and arrived by ship in Australia on 20 April 1949. Many of their fellow shipmates have remained close friends ever since. John and Maria's first experience of Australian life was at Bonny Gilla, and they then travelled on to hostel accommodation in Brisbane.
In Brisbane, both John and Maria began their work contracts, with John starting work for Darra Cement Works and then working at the Brandon and Broad timber mill at Newstead. John pedalling a push bike often from the southside to Newstead to work. John then took up work as a carpenter, working for various employers building houses, cold rooms and in developing public works. He spent about the last ten years of his working life as a carpenter for the Brisbane City Council and retired from the Council almost 20 years ago in the early 1980's.
After moving from the hostel, John and Maria rented accommodation in South Brisbane before purchasing land containing a small shed at Boyland Avenue, Coopers Plains. Here while living in the shed, John, with help from Maria and his friends, built their first home which was completed in 1955. Although Boyland Avenue is now almost exclusively industrial properties, the home that John built remains solid and strong, a testament to his building skills, and is still being used as an industrial site office.
It was here at Boyland Avenue the John and Maria's two children, Helen and Ray were brought up. His family grew when he gained a son-in-law, Neil and daughter-in-law Sharri. John's special interest over his retirement has been, being a much-loved Digo (Didor) to his five grandchildren, Elissa, Katie, Stephanie, Luke and Anthony.
John was always an active participant in the Ukrainian community and an active member of the Ukrainian Catholic church. He helped to build this beautiful Church in which we stand today, he sang in this Church's choir for many, many years, and Mr Sendzik will tell more about John's involvement with the Church, later in the service. John helped with the construction of the Ukrainian Hall in Cordelia Street and it's reconstruction in the late seventies following the fire there.
One of his passions was to talk and argue about politics. Some might even suggest he loved to argue about nearly anything with nearly anybody, but most who knew him would say he was a quiet and hardworking man.
He always worried about the family he had left behind in Ukraine and through the sending of packages on a regular basis helped to make their lives easier. In 1992, he was finally able to revisit his village of Stenella, again see the house in which he was born and reunite with three sisters he had not seen tor 50 years.
He lived only 25 of his 84 and a half years in his country of birth, Ukraine and like many who arrived on these shores after the war, he struggled with some aspects of the life and the language of his adopted home. It would be fair to say that in all circumstances, he made the best of his situation in this foreign land that became his home.
John had generally been blessed with good health up until the last 18 months. He was happiest with a hammer in his hand and a job to do. As his health failed, his greatest regret was that he could no longer do the work he loved to do.
Following a stoke and consequent coma, John Motyka passed away quietly on Thursday morning 1 August 2002. He will be missed.
Eulogy by Neil TOMKINS, son-in-law.
Funeral was at Ukrainian Catholic Church, 36 Broadway St, Woolloongabba at 9.30am, Monday 5 Aug 2002.
Notes: Stanela is within 30 Km of Lviv in North West Ukraine near the Polish border.
At this point war intervened and John was taken by the invading German's to work in the industrial cities of Germany. Firstly, he worked as a coal miner and later as a fitter in the mine until the end of the war.
The Americans housed many of the now displaced persons in camps as they took control of Germany and it was in the Camp at Ilungun where, John first met his wife Maria. They married in Germany in 1948 and in 1949 embarked, with a large number of other families, and arrived by ship in Australia on 20 April 1949. Many of their fellow shipmates have remained close friends ever since. John and Maria's first experience of Australian life was at Bonny Gilla, and they then travelled on to hostel accommodation in Brisbane.
In Brisbane, both John and Maria began their work contracts, with John starting work for Darra Cement Works and then working at the Brandon and Broad timber mill at Newstead. John pedalling a push bike often from the southside to Newstead to work. John then took up work as a carpenter, working for various employers building houses, cold rooms and in developing public works. He spent about the last ten years of his working life as a carpenter for the Brisbane City Council and retired from the Council almost 20 years ago in the early 1980's.
After moving from the hostel, John and Maria rented accommodation in South Brisbane before purchasing land containing a small shed at Boyland Avenue, Coopers Plains. Here while living in the shed, John, with help from Maria and his friends, built their first home which was completed in 1955. Although Boyland Avenue is now almost exclusively industrial properties, the home that John built remains solid and strong, a testament to his building skills, and is still being used as an industrial site office.
It was here at Boyland Avenue the John and Maria's two children, Helen and Ray were brought up. His family grew when he gained a son-in-law, Neil and daughter-in-law Sharri. John's special interest over his retirement has been, being a much-loved Digo (Didor) to his five grandchildren, Elissa, Katie, Stephanie, Luke and Anthony.
John was always an active participant in the Ukrainian community and an active member of the Ukrainian Catholic church. He helped to build this beautiful Church in which we stand today, he sang in this Church's choir for many, many years, and Mr Sendzik will tell more about John's involvement with the Church, later in the service. John helped with the construction of the Ukrainian Hall in Cordelia Street and it's reconstruction in the late seventies following the fire there.
One of his passions was to talk and argue about politics. Some might even suggest he loved to argue about nearly anything with nearly anybody, but most who knew him would say he was a quiet and hardworking man.
He always worried about the family he had left behind in Ukraine and through the sending of packages on a regular basis helped to make their lives easier. In 1992, he was finally able to revisit his village of Stenella, again see the house in which he was born and reunite with three sisters he had not seen tor 50 years.
He lived only 25 of his 84 and a half years in his country of birth, Ukraine and like many who arrived on these shores after the war, he struggled with some aspects of the life and the language of his adopted home. It would be fair to say that in all circumstances, he made the best of his situation in this foreign land that became his home.
John had generally been blessed with good health up until the last 18 months. He was happiest with a hammer in his hand and a job to do. As his health failed, his greatest regret was that he could no longer do the work he loved to do.
Following a stoke and consequent coma, John Motyka passed away quietly on Thursday morning 1 August 2002. He will be missed.
Eulogy by Neil TOMKINS, son-in-law.
Funeral was at Ukrainian Catholic Church, 36 Broadway St, Woolloongabba at 9.30am, Monday 5 Aug 2002.
Notes: Stanela is within 30 Km of Lviv in North West Ukraine near the Polish border.
Events
| Birth | 17 Jan 1918 | Stanela, Ukraine | |||
| Marriage | 1948 | Ilungun, Germany - Maria GRIGOR | |||
| Death | 1 Aug 2002 | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | |||
| Burial | 5 Aug 2002 | Mt Gravatt Cemetery, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | |||
| Alt name | John MOTYKA |
Families
| Spouse | Maria GRIGOR (1926 - 2015) |
| Child | Helen MOTYKA (1950 - 2024) |
| Child | Living |
| Father | Daniel MOTYKA ( - ) |
| Mother | Maria ( - ) |