John Halecky, Jr.

John Halecky, Jr. of Summit and Avalon, New Jersey, age 87, passed away peacefully at home after a brief illness on December 22, 2021. Born on July 7, 1934, he was the son of John Halecky, Sr. and Pauline (Paraska) Halecky (nee Mikulak) and was raised in Bayonne, New Jersey. He was a graduate of Bayonne High School and Rutgers University and was a veteran of the United States Army.

He began his business career with The Standard Oil Company of New Jersey and later served as Treasurer, Executive Vice President, CFO and Director of Comstock Group, an industrial services company; President of Elkcom Leasing; COO of Fischbach Corporation, the largest  specialty contractor in the United States at that time; and Principal of Peninsula Associates, a management-consulting firm.

In his youth, he cultivated a deep appreciation of music and for almost two decades was well known in the Greater New York Area as the leader of Johnny Halecky and His Orchestra, specializing in repertoire including Polka, Slavic Folk, Big Band and popular dance music as an arranger, accordionist and vocalist. His love of music also crossed over from the secular to sacred, serving as a member of the Bayonne Russian Male Chorus and the director of the a cappella choir at Saint Mary's Orthodox Church in Bayonne, New Jersey for more than a decade   

His commitment to his church was long standing and far reaching. He served as a Trustee and held various offices at Saint Mary's Orthodox Church in Bayonne. Subsequently, after moving to Mountainside, New Jersey, he served in roles as a Trustee and President on the Board of Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

He was an active member of the Federated Russian Orthodox Clubs (FROC) and served in various capacities including National Convention Chair twice. He was also a member of the ACRY (American Carpatho-Russian Youth).

For 25 years, he was as a member of the Diocesan Board of Trustees and Financial Secretary of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Diocese of the U.S.A., where he was instrumental in establishing the clergy pension fund and as Trustee of Christ the Savior Seminary in Johnstown, PA. He served on the Advisory Committee of the Monastery of the Annunciation in Tuxedo Park, NY and is a recipient of the “Bohorodica” (Theotokos) Award for outstanding service to the Carpatho-Russian Diocese by laymen.  He was also an active member of Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in North Wildwood, NJ and a dear friend and supporter of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Westfield, New Jersey.

John Halecky, Jr. was invested as a member of the Order of St. Andrew - Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1982, the highest order accorded to laymen of the Orthodox Church, conferred with the offikion [title], Ekdikos [Defender of the Churches]. He served on the National Council of the Order beginning in 1998 as member, Treasurer and then Vice Commander. He was chosen by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, as a member of the official delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the reception of the relics of Saint Gregory the Theologian and Saint John Chrysostom from Pope Saint John Paul II at the Vatican during the Thronal Feast of Saint Andrew in 2004.

He savored summers at Wildwood, Long Beach Island and Avalon in New Jersey. Along with his wife, Sonia, children and extended family, he enjoyed winter sports and was an avid Alpine skier at Lake George, Lake Placid and especially Sainte- Adele, Quebec. He was a member of the Carpathian Club, Echo Lake Country Club, New York Building Congress, National Electrical Contractors Association, The Beavers - an honorary organization of heavy construction companies and individuals in California, and The Economic Club of New York. He keenly embraced a role as mentor, promoter and advisor to more than a dozen God-children, cousins, grandchildren and family friends.

John Halecky, Jr. was pre-deceased by his brother-in-law John Monchak, Sisters-in law Francis Monchak, Mary Monchak-Munkacsy and Vera Monchak-Hollar Kruczak.

He is survived by his wife, Sonia, who he married on June 13, 1959 at Three Saints Russian Orthodox Church in Garfield, NJ, and children John Halecky, III and Nadine Quaglia (Silvio Quaglia, MD) and four grandchildren: Justin, Jennifer and Cassandra Quaglia and Amanda Aguilera [Nicholas].

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any offerings be directed to https://bartholomew.foundation or the charity of your choice.

Visitation

Sunday, January 2, 2022 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Memorial Service - Trisagion / Parastas at 6:00 PM

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

250 Gallows Hill Road

Westfield, NJ  07090

Visitation

Monday, January 3, 2022 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

250 Gallows Hill Road

Westfield, NJ 07090
 

Funeral Service - Orthodox Christian Office of the Burial of the Dead

Monday, January 3, 2022 at 11:00 AM

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

250 Gallow Hill Road

Westfield, NJ 07090

Interment Immediately Following at:

Fairview Cemetery

1100 East Broad Street, Westfield, NJ

Arrangements through Higgins and Bonner Echo Lake Funeral Home, Westfield, NJ.

(908) 789-7400. Condolences can be sent to the family at www.higginsandbonner.com

https://www.goarch.org/-/eulogy-john-halecky-jr

https://orthodoxtimes.com/archbishop-of-america-at-the-funeral-of-national-vice-commander-john-halecky-jr/

https://www.archons.org/news/photos
 

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