Remembering Anne Fedak
Anne (nee Buriak) was born on June 12, 1925 at home in East Conemaugh PA, one of ten children of Philip & Anna Buriak. She married Stephen Fedak, son of the priest at their home parish, St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Conemaugh. Prior to her marriage, she worked in the Glosser Brothers store, then at the Johnstown Tribune newspaper.
Upon moving to Arlington, VA, they were pleased to find a local Orthodox church, St. Nicholas, where they could faithfully attend services as they had all their lives. Their son Timothy was born in Virginia. When the NSA, where Steve worked, moved to Maryland, they searched for a home closer to work and found the gem of Holiday Hills in Howard County. Daughter Susan born one month after they moved into their new house. With their new, one-acre yard they dove into gardening, planting a beautiful orchard, large vegetable garden, grape arbor and blueberry bushes. These provided fresh fruits and vegetables all summer and well into the winter.
Even after their move, Steve and Ann maintained their membership at St. Nicholas, faithfully attending the Sunday and Holy Day services. At that time there were really only two choices of Orthodox churches - in Washington, DC or in Baltimore, MD.
When Steve retired after many years of federal service they enjoyed traveling to both eastern and western PA to visit a large and very close family.
Throughout their lives the Orthodox Church remained central to their existence. They sang in both church choirs, enjoyed gathering with friends at choir and holiday parties, singing with Nicolai Gedda, and at the Kennedy Center. Anne faithfully served in the Sisterhood (now the Dormition Guild) for church dinners, bazaars, Pascha embroidery projects, apron sewing, and wherever she was needed. At the annual bazaar, Anne was often found serving food, having made gallons of borsch and uncountable numbers of cabbage pirogs in the weeks leading up to it.
As traffic made traveling into DC more difficult, Anne and Steve were pleased to be able to attend weekday and evening services at the new OCA mission parish in Howard County with their children. But they always remained devoted to St. Nicholas and everyone there. Anne reposed in the Lord on June 19, 2011.
Until we are all reunited in Paradise, Memory Eternal to Anne and Stephen.
