Educator, author, businessman, community activist.
Born at Seech on 28 December 1915, son of Ruska Nowaset, he was educated at Oakburn School, Elphinstone School, and Dauphin Normal School. Along with his teaching career throughout rural Manitoba, including Olha School (1935-1937), he acted as a correspondent for the Dauphin Herald, wrote and published history books of the Manitoba communities Keld and Horod and contributed to numerous other publications. In 1941, he married Margaret Magdalene Waroway (1913-1998). He joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1942, and while stationed in Ottawa, took a salesmanship course at Carleton College.
After his discharge from the Army in 1945, he became the Secretary of the newly formed Ukrainian Catholic Council of Canada, where he assisted with the resettlement of Ukrainian refugees after the Second World War. In 1948, he was employed as an agent for the New York Life Insurance Company, until becoming President of the National Foodland Company. He restructured the company and later founded Sell-rite Wholesale.
An active member of the Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Parish in East Kildonan, he was deeply involved in the Ukrainian community in other ways. He was elected in 1980 as National President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and re-elected in 1983. During his terms in office, he participated in two world congresses of Ukrainians in New York and Toronto, was a guest speaker at various conferences across Canada, and attended numerous Ukrainian festivals. In 1983, he and his wife were honoured at the Dauphin National Ukrainian Festival as Hospodar and Hospodenya (honorary governor and governess). Among his other honours and positions: a Plaque of Appreciation from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (1988); a founding membership in the Ukrainian Knights of Columbus Council in Canada and the United States and service as Grand Knight; a founding membership of the St. Josaphat’s Council of the Third Degree, and a Fourth Degree member of the Canon Luhovy Council. Throughout his membership in the Knights of Columbus, he served as a delegate to the World Catholic Layman’s Congress in Rome in 1967; he was the only Ukrainian delegate to the World Laymen’s Consultation in Rome in 1975; served as an active participant in the Knights’ Millennium of Christianity between 1984-1988. These honours, along with his devotion to the Knights of Columbus generally, led to the bestowing of the honour of Knight of St. Gregory in 1982 (KSG).
Other notable contributions to the Ukrainian and broader community were: founding member of the Catholic Foundation of Manitoba, being honoured himself in 1990; service of 25 years on the board at St. Boniface Hospital; Supreme President of Ukrainian Mutual Benefit Association of St. Nicholas; member of the Shevchenko Foundation of Canada, being honoured with the Shevchenko Medal in 1977; Quarter Century member of the Ukrainian Professional and Business Club of Winnipeg; board member of Progress-Vera Credit Union; Vice- President of the Children’s Aid Society of Winnipeg; Osvita Foundation Honouree, 1996; St. Cyril and Methodius Medal from the Slavic Community; Certificate of Recognition from the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Winnipeg; and the Jewish Community Certificate of Recognition.
He died at Winnipeg on 11 May 2009 and was buried in the Holy Family Cemetery.
Birth registration [John Nowosad], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 15 May 15 2009.
John Nowosad, FindAGrave.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 14 July 2025
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