Michael Skordinski was born on November 20, 1913 in Wilkes-Barre (Miners Mills), PA, the second oldest of 10 children. He was baptized at Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Wilkes-Barre where he began his lifelong devotion and service to the Church and remained committed and involved throughout his life as a member of the choir and church community wherever he lived. It was through his work with the Church that he met his wife, Olga Homenny Skordinski of Scranton, PA.
Olga Homenny Skordinski was born on October 27, 1923 in Scranton, PA. She was raised by her maternal grandfather, her mother and her aunt. She greatly loved and admired her
grandfather from whom she learned the love of family and church. After a disastrous fire in 1912, her grandfather mortgaged the family home to rebuild Sts. Peter & Paul Russian Orthodox Church in Scranton. Olga was a lifelong choir member from the age of 9. She graduated from Scranton Technical High School in 1941. During the 1940s, Olga worked
for the A.C. Cohen Public Adjusting Co., The Jewish Home for the Friendless, and the Anthracite Overall Manufacturing Co., all located in Scranton. Mike had left school early to help support the family as his father was in poor health and unable to work. At the onset of
World War II he joined the Navy and went into the Seabees, serving in Okinawa. During WWII Olga volunteered in the Red Cross in Scranton. Later, during the Vietnam War, she was counseling veterans at Bethesda Naval Hospital in MD. Upon his return from the war, Mike went back to school, earned his high school diploma and went on to obtain his AA degree in Production Engineering from Pennsylvania State College (now University).
On May 23, 1948, Olga and Mike were married in Scranton. In 1954 they moved to the Washington D.C. area where Mike worked at John Hancock Insurance. For 25 years their life centered around St. Nicholas Cathedral. They came to choir rehearsals every Friday night and were steadfast in lending alto and tenor voices to the choir. They continued membership in the Federated Russian Orthodox Clubs (later FOCA), joining St. Nicholas chapter #79 of the organization. Olga was an active member of Dormition Sisterhood (Guild) and served as treasurer on the Board of Trustees (Parish Council). She received a Gramota (award to laypeople) for her good works from His Beatitude Metropolitan Theodosius+.
Upon Mike’s retirement in 1975, the couple moved to Florida and eventually built a home in Ponce Inlet where they lived for almost 30 years. They continued choir and church
activities at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Daytona Beach and St. Simeon Russian Orthodox Church in Titusville. In 2006 they moved to Bishop's Glen, a retirement community in Holly Hill. After 75 years of singing in church choirs, Olga joined the Bishop's Glen Chorus.
In addition to serving in all their church parishes, the Skordinskis fervently believed in supporting St. Tikhon's (South Canaan, PA), St. Vladimir's (Crestwood, NY), and St.
Herman's (Kodiak, AK) Orthodox Theological Seminaries because they teach young priests of tomorrow. Olga and Mike were staunch supporters, members, volunteers and hosts of various events for the London Symphony Orchestra, the Daytona Beach Symphony Society, the Seaside Music Theater, the Daytona Beach International Festival, the Central Florida Cultural Endeavors, Inc. and the Friendship Force.
The Skordinskis remembered St. Nicholas Cathedral as their “home parish,” continued lifetime membership, and made several annual visits as long as they could travel. They would take their places in the choir and greet old friends. Additional memories of the couple were the many choir parties at their home in Silver Spring. Olga always wore a hat to church and with Mike’s collection of different colored sports jackets, they often wore color-matched outfits.
Although they bore no children of their own, Mike and Olga had a loving marriage and a host of close relatives who visited frequently or lived with them temporarily. Olga entered into the Lord’s loving care on March 21, 2009 and Mike joined her the following year on June 4, 2010. May their memory be eternal.
