01/06/2025

Michael Nasevich

Fletcher-Nasevich Funeral Home - Funeral Home Owner/Funeral Director

Just ten days after our mother died, our dad died on the morning of her funeral.  Michael Eugene Nasevich (he said the Eugene came from his cousin, Eugene Shawaryn), a retired Philadelphia Funeral Director, died Saturday, November 30, 2024 at his daughter's home in Columbus, NJ.  He was 98.

Mike was born at the Stetson Hospital (one reason he loved Stetson hats) on Germantown Avenue, the son of the late Mary (nee Panasoska) and Michael Franko Nasevich.  He grew up in probably (as he would say) the best place in the world; surrounded by cousins and numerous friends.  He and his cousins, Paul and Sylvester Panasosky, would roam the neighborhood of East Poplar and Northern Liberties with their crew (the Shawaryns, Dzmelyks, Kowalskis, Oleniks to name a few) and often cut school to go swimming in the nearby Delaware River.

He attended Immaculate Conception grade school, run by the Sisters of St. Basil the Great and was a graduate of Central High School.  He played on the high school soccer team with his buddy Danny 'Dizzy' Dzmelyk; he would often talk about his lone varsity goal, scored from the left side (he was one of the few kids who could kick with his left foot):  "It was a great goal, probably bounced about 10 to 12 times before it went in."  He would keep his love for the beautiful game all his life.  Mike often took the kids to Edison High School Field to watch the Ukrainian Nationals soccer team play.  While not a huge baseball fan, he loved the Philadelphia A’s and would sneak in to watch them play at Shibe Park (Connie Mack Stadium); his favorite player was center fielder Sam Chapman.  One of Mike's favorite sports memories was meeting Smokin’ Joe Frazier with his friend Steve Arty.

After graduation from high school, he entered the US Navy (he was prepared to join the Army; his mother even got him his own duffel bag).  When he went to enlist and found that he could choose his branch of service, he immediately chose the Navy; he loved to fish and thought it would be a perfect fit.  He was sent out for training on a destroyer out of Bainbridge, Maryland and after spending two to three weeks in sick bay due to the tossing of the ship, the Navy decided that perhaps a small vessel would be better.  He was assigned to the newly launched USS Pocono, an Adirondack class amphibious force command ship; as a plank owner of the Pocono, he trained as a radarman and was discharged from the Navy at the end of World War II in July of 1946 with the rank of Radarman 3rd class.  His father Michael died a month after his discharge.

Mike joined the newly formed Anthony Bilyi Post 1 of the Ukrainian American Veterans, started up by Major Michael Darmophray.  Mike later became Post Commander and led Memorial Day Services at St. Mary's and Oakland Cemetery with his friends (I will miss some names: my godfather Russ Bomba who also blew taps, Mike Pohar, Eli Pronchick, Metro Drabyk, Bill Drabyk, Nick Huriy, Mike Pawl who by the way was the biggest former Marine I ever met, Mac Karbiwnyk, Nick Pryslak).  Leading up to Memorial Day, the kids were often recruited to help place flags at the graves of those veterans who had passed away and after the rifle salute (always fired by the Catholic War Veterans Post from St. Josaphat's Church) we learned how to wait for the rifle casings to cool before picking them up.  Mike continued to place flags at the cemetery even when he was slowed by health and age but his walker helped him along.

After his discharge, he returned to Philadelphia and attended the Eckels Mortuary School at 17th & Diamond Sts.  After graduation, he helped his mother run the family funeral home at Franklin and Brown Streets.  He sang in the Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral choir where he met Anne Duranowska, his future wife.  Anne and Mike were married at the Cathedral on May 6, 1951 with a reception held at the Ukrainian Hall on Franklin Street (Mike's mother Mary purportedly got on the Ukrainian radio program and invited everyone to the reception).  

They lived in Northern Liberties and moved to Winchester Park in 1952.  In 1953, Anne attended and graduated from Eckels Mortuary School and joined her husband Mike in the family business.  In 1959 they  purchased the Felton mansion in Olney where they opened the doors to the Nasevich Funeral Home.  

The home was big enough to handle their growing family; Mike wanted a dozen children and loved his five: Michael F., born in 1952, was joined by his sisters Kathleen A. (1954) and Marie B. (1957) and brothers Stephen P. (1961) and Joseph A. (1963).  And along the way, they were joined by the various in-laws: Kathy Washart, Charlie Taggart (who Mike and Anne apprenticed during his road to becoming a funeral director), Daria Myr and Emily Drake.

The property hosted birthday parties on the spacious grounds, especially on the July 4th weekend to celebrate Mike's birthday on July 5th.  On one of those celebrations “serious Mike Nasevich” went to a second floor window and dropped a water balloon on Chocha Milly who in turn chased him with the water hose!  The days usually ended with some serious pinochle games on  the back porch.  They were close enough to witness the fireworks that were blasting away at the Olney High School football field.  They would travel to Wildwood Crest for a few weekends and spend their time at the boarding house of Victoria Rutecky Nawrocki , an old friend of Mary Nasevich, on Crocus Road.  We didn't have Ukie Week, we had Ukie summer. 

The family worshipped together at St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church in Frankford before joining the new Annunciation BVM Ukrainian Catholic parish in 1963.  And while the funeral business kept them busy,  Mike would often be asked to drive some of our clergy around their parishes to bless homes after Christmas.  The home was often the site of many caroling groups who would gather in the main parlor to sing Christmas songs and partake of the refreshments prepared for them.  When Anne couldn't find Mike, she would place a few phone calls to the Pasicznyk's or the Kutlemack's or the Doroshenko's; invariably he'd be enjoying a cup of coffee (it was never too late for a cup of coffee) and some homemade cookies at one of his stops.

Anne and Mike would spend Sunday's watching the NHL on ABC; when the Flyers were granted a franchise in 1967, Mike and Michael  went to the very first home game (a 1-0 Flyers win over the Pittsburgh Penguins) and after that game he purchased a limited season ticket plan, later expanding it to full season tickets so Anne and he could enjoy the games together.  Her favorite line at a game seemed to be "down in front" (it never worked so she would get a bit louder each time); Mike would join in from time to time with their friends behind them with the shout of 'Minor Leaguers' (which had to be said with a German accent to match that of their friend Fred Yunger). The love of the game and the Flyers took them on trips to Montreal and Minneapolis; while at the Forum in Montreal, they happened to pass behind the Canadians bench and there they made their only appearance on TV.  They had their Flyers jerseys, their jackets and Mike had his German soccer horn to blow after each Flyers goal; their seats expanded to four when their friends, Lucy and Jerry Palatayko joined them and together they saw the Flyers win their first Stanley Cup.  

Anne and Mike enjoyed traveling; they journeyed to Quebec City for their honeymoon and a bit later to Bermuda.  They journeyed to Germany for the World Cup with the Palatayko's, the Dykyj's, the Chyzowych's and the Jarmymovych's (I apologize if I missed anyone) where Anne begged, to no avail, for all of them to stop smoking.  Another trip to Germany took them to Oberammergau for the Passion Play; and they enjoyed their trips to the Caribbean.  But their favorite place to vacation was the Jersey shore; usually Wildwood Crest and sometimes Ocean City.  They'd gather the family: kids, aunts, uncles and cousins along with Anne's mom to spend time together at the beach.  The holidays were another boisterous (yet still solemn) occasion; Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Babchi's, celebrating Christ's birth with traditional flavors along with Easter dinners.  Equally as enjoyable was when they'd gather at Nana's for dinner, prepared by our wonderful executive chef, Antin 'Tony' Metka, our grandfather (he brought all his favorite recipes from his days as a restaurant owner and chef in Cleveland). 

Anne and Mike with their legion of friends would find ways to entertain all the kids; there was the time a rideable train was constructed with Mike and Adam Kutlemach in the basement (built around the heating systems).  Surprisingly there were no derailments.  The kids were allowed to take field trips to places like the Philly Zoo or the Franklin Institute, but Professor Mike made them write an essay upon their return. And we were always dragged along with Mom and Steve Arty on their bi-weekly trips down to Noble Street to stock up on fruits, vegetables and meats (all expertly trimmed by Steve Arty). 

Anne and Mike later bought a small condo in Ocean City before moving to Egg Harbor Township; they later purchased a small home in Lakewood Ranch, Florida after retiring.  They would be the proverbial snowbirds.  In Florida, their residence sat between two Ukrainian Catholic parishes: North Port and St. Petersburg. They eventually made Epiphany of Our Lord Parish in St. Petersburg their home away from home. 

Age and ailments curtailed their travels back and forth from New Jersey to Florida and they recently had been residing with their daughter Kathleen.  Although homebound, they enjoyed - and looked forward to - the visits of their nieces Annette and her daughter Cecilia, cousin Sandy, son-in law Charlie (with his wonderful impersonations of Msgr. John Bilanych) and the grandchildren, friends Marianne Arose and Jeff Hight and neighbors Norma and Fred Pacifico.

Mike is predeceased by his wife of over 73 years, Anne; he is survived by their five children: Mike (Kathy), Kathleen, Marie (Charles Taggart), Steve (Daria) and Joe (Emily); five grandchildren: Tasha, Michael J. (Jena), Zenia, Michael M. and Kaitlin; nieces Melanie Franklin and Annette Bonfante (the late Gary) and their families and many cousins.  Besides his wife Anne and his parents, Mike is predeceased by his cousins Paul Panasosky (Theresa) and Sylvester Panasosky (the late Gloria); his in-laws Michael 'Uncle Mick' Duranowsky (the late Helen Stanchick), Melanie Olesh (the late Walter) and Jennie Duranowsky as well as his two nephews Walter B. Olesh and Greg Olesh.

His viewing will be held on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 from 6 PM to 8 PM at the Fletcher-Nasevich Funeral Home.  Parastas Prayers will be sung at 7 PM.  His funeral will be held on Wednesday at 9 AM at the funeral home with Panachida Prayers sung at 10 AM.  Requiem Services will be sung at 11 AM at Annunciation BVM Ukrainian Catholic Church.  Burial, along with Military Honors, will follow at St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery.

Like our Mom, our Dad loved flowers (and he also loved bright ties and argyle socks; if you've got them, wear them) but if you wish to contribute instead to something in his memory we would suggest the Ukrainian American Veterans Post 1 or World Central Kitchen (Ukraine).