Lubomyr O. Hewko, of Ann Arbor, died on December 3, 2020 at the age of 91.
He was a longtime resident of Clarkston before moving to Ann Arbor in 2015.
Lubomyr was an extraordinary person, wonderful husband, father and grandfather. His deep devotion to family, decades-long involvement in Ukrainian-American cultural, educational and civic affairs, and many service activities in every community in which he lived, have left a legacy that touched the lives of many.
Lubomyr (or “Lu” as he was affectionately called) was born on May 22, 1929, the son of Dmytro Hewko and Maria Dziuban. During World War II, his family fled Ukraine in the face of the advancing Soviet army. After a dangerous journey of escape, that included time in a German labor camp and the painful loss of his mother, his family spent nearly four years in displaced persons camps in southern Germany, before coming to the United States in the fall of 1949 at the age of 20.
Lubomyr graduated in 1947 from the Ukrainian Real Gymnasium that was organized in the displaced persons camp in Mittenwald, Germany, and received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Wayne State University and a M.S. in Engineering from the University of Michigan.
In 1956, he married Natalie Osidach, the love of his life, who passed away in July 2020, just a few weeks before they would have celebrated 64 years of marriage.
He was an engineer with General Motors for 37 years. He began his career in 1955 at the GM Research Laboratories in Warren, and in 1966, he was transferred to New Departure-Hyatt Bearings, a GM Division located in Sandusky, Ohio. He returned to the GM Research Laboratories in 1978 before retiring in 1992 and establishing his own consulting business.
During his career at GM, he was involved in research on, and design of, several experimental transmissions for passenger car and military applications, including infinitely-variable-ratio transmissions, powertrains for experimental gas turbine engines and friction drive transmissions. During his later years at GM, he focused on hybrid and other advanced automotive powertrains and automotive energy storage systems for hybrid vehicles. He held 24 patents, published over 30 technical papers, and wrote over 60 research reports, technical memoranda and internal GM publications. He also served on a number of national and international technical committees and governmental advisory panels.
Lubomyr was very active in numerous organizations in the Ukrainian-American community, particularly Ukrainian sea scouting where he continued as a member and leader into his 80s. He was also a member in the Ukrainian Engineers’ Society of America and the Shevchenko Scientific Society and held a variety of leadership positions in both organizations.
He was a dedicated Rotarian and President of the Clarkston Rotary Club, as well as a member of the Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals of Independence Township. He was particularly proud of the work he did in helping establish the first Rotary Club in Kyiv, Ukraine, after the fall of the Soviet Union and in organizing two major Rotary missions to supply medical equipment and services to Ukraine and one to help the victims of the Chernobyl tragedy.
For Lubomyr, it was not about getting the credit, but about helping others and getting the job done. Service to others was his way of thanking the country that welcomed him as a refugee. He will be remembered for his warmth, compassion, organizational abilities and loyalty and will be deeply missed by his family and friends.
He is survived by his three children, Marc (Lisa McDonald), Annetta (Michael Simpson) and John (Margarita) Hewko, and five grandchildren, Eugene and Iryna Simpson, Timothy and Andrew Hewko, and Maria Hewko, as well as family in the U.S., Ukraine and Poland.
Due to the COVID crisis, funeral services were held for the immediate family on December 12, 2020 at the St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church in Warren, and internment was at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield. The family will hold a celebration of his life, and that of his wife Natalie, once the current health crisis has passed.
Those who wish to remember Lubomyr in a special way may make gifts to the Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation (UCEF) to support the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, Ukraine. Donations can be made online at ucef.org or by mail to UCEF, 2247 W. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60622. Please note that any contributions are in memory of Lubomyr Hewko.