ALEX SHTUKA
March 17, 1918 – August 30, 2020


After a long and vibrant life, surpassing 102 years, Alex Shtuka was called home by his Heavenly Father on August 30, 2020, in Barrie, Ontario. He passed peacefully in his sleep two weeks after suffering a stroke in his long term care home where he had resided for the last few years of his life.

Alex was born in the village of Wolica, Ukraine on March 17, 1918. He was the youngest of six siblings and loved to sing from a young age in the church services that were held in his parents’ home. Alex became a tailor and ran his own business at the age of 21, teaching young apprentices how to tailor fine suits and coats in Ukraine. He moved to Germany in 1939 where he worked in many entrepreneurial jobs, eventually ending up in a displaced persons camp. He immigrated to Toronto, Canada in 1957 and became a member of the Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church in 1958 where he faithfully served and sang in the choir for almost 40 years.

Alex married Maria Kociolko in Toronto, Canada on August 3, 1963. They had three children, Daniel, Nadia and Anna, and the entire family was active in the church, often singing together as a family.

After 25 years of service at Dow Chemical Canada, Alex retired in 1983. He loved spending every summer at his cottage at the Ukrainian Bible Centre (Ocela), near Peterborough, Ontario, fishing and swimming in Pigeon Lake, but most especially, he loved attending the many church conferences that were held there each year.

Alex will be remembered for his sense of humor and friendly nature, his love of family and friends, and his simple, unwavering faith that carried him through many difficult circumstances. Alex is predeceased by his wife of 45 years, Maria, and extended family in Ukraine. Alex leaves behind three adult children, Dan (Shelly), Nadia (Peter) and Ann (Ken), along with seven grandchildren, Elizabeth, Victoria, Grace, Joshua, Larissa, Matthew, and Ruth, and family in the USA.

A funeral service will take place at York Funeral Centre, 160 Beecroft Rd., Toronto on Friday, September 4, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. with interment immediately following. Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, attendance is limited in the chapel. The funeral service will be live-streamed for family and friends who are unable to attend. A link to the live webcast will appear at the top of this webpage starting on Friday, September 4 at 1:45 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary in Lviv, Ukraine. Please designate donations “in memory of Alex Shtuka.”

Slavic Gospel Association – Canada
766 Old Hespeler Road, Suite 204
Cambridge, ON N3H 5L8

Donations may also be made online via CanadaHelps.org.


“Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43