On Saturday, June 20, longtime member of the Eastern American Diocesan Council Mr. George N. Nikolsky reposed in the Lord. He was 93 years old.

Nikolsky was born on April 26, 1933, in the village of Novostreltsovka (Lugansk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR) to Nicholas and Iraida Nikolsky. The family found themselves in Germany during World War II. George was able to grow up with his cousin, the future Archdeacon Eugene Burbelo (+2017), who was adopted by George’s parents when the former’s parents reposed. After World War II, family lived in the Displaced Persons (DP) Camp in Fischbeck, near Hamburg.

In the 1950s, the family emigrated to the United States where they helped establish St. John of Kronstadt Memorial Church in Utica, NY. George attended Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY, where his roommate was the future First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan Laurus (Škurla; +2008). He then attended the University of Syracuse, later working for IBM and attaining his Master’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  

Continuing his service to the church, Nikolsky was a parish council member and choir director for over 40 years at St. Nicholas Church in Poughkeepsie, NY. 

Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky, +1985), appointed George to serve on the Diocesan Council of the Eastern American Diocese, a post he faithfully discharged until 2015. In addition, he was president of the American-Russian Aid Association (Otrada) from 2006 until 2013.

For his dedication to the holy church, he was awarded two diocesan gramotas, one in 2012 for his labors in the parish and one in 2015 at his retirement from the Diocesan Council, as well as a Synodal gramota in 2017. 

He is survived by his wife Ludmilla, his children Nicholas, Elena Curran, Victor, Paul and seven grandchildren. 

Memory Eternal to the newly departed servant of God George!