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Vladimir Bakum

1925 - 2018

Vladimir Bakum obituary, 1925-2018, Highland, NY

BORN

1925

DIED

2018

Vladimir Bakum Obituary

Vladimir Bakum

Highland - Vladimir Bakum, loving husband, father, and grandfather passed away at age 92 in Springfield, MA on July 10, 2018 from complications associated with congestive heart failure. He is survived by his son Borys, daughter-in-law Devon and their children Colin and Jarod, as well as his son Mark, daughter-in-law Donna and their children Lindsay and Michael. He also leaves behind some of the best neighbors in the world, professional colleagues, friends and thousands of former students.

In 1925, Vladimir or 'Wolodymyr' Bakum was born in Luxembourg to Ukrainian refugee parents who had recently moved to France seeking work. For the next fifteen years, Vladimir grew up in a rapidly industrializing France where his parents worked in various factories while the family remained deeply connected with vibrant Ukrainian communities which sprang up around French factory towns. In late 1940, after Hitler's Armies occupied Luxembourg and France, Vladimir's family, like many others, where shipped to Germany to work in factories. For the next five years, the family lived in war-torn Germany, balancing factory work, education, and family life while trying to survive Allied air raids both day and night. Fortunately, ad-hoc Ukrainian communities again provided much needed structure and support. After the end of war, the family spent several years as war refugees, ending up in Displaced Person camps with millions of others. During this time, Vladimir was fortunate to complete his undergraduate degree at the University of Munich. Soon thereafter, thanks to the sponsorship of the United Ukrainian-American Relief Committee (UUARC), the family emigrated to the United States.

Like many others, Vladimir arrived in America with virtually nothing, starting out as a farm hand on a chicken farm. He soon joined the U.S. Army, eager to give back and simultaneously increase his chances for American citizenship. Two years in the Army included deploying to Okinawa during the Korean War and becoming a drill instructor at Fort Bliss, TX. Afterward, leveraging the GI Bill and working multiple jobs, Vladimir dove further into higher education. He earned both his Masters and PhD in French from Columbia University in NY while also working as a NYC taxi cab mechanic on the midnight shift and eventually as a draftsman for Bell Laboratories. All the while, Vladimir and his family established themselves in the burgeoning post-war NYC Ukrainian community. It was against this backdrop that he met his beloved wife Oksana who herself was a refugee from war-torn Ukraine. They met at a Ukrainian student meeting in NYC and the rest is history. Vladimir and Oksana would stay married for over 55 years until Oksana's passing in December 2016.

Vladimir's love affair with teaching foreign languages started in the early 1960s when he became a high school teacher at Farragut Military Academy in New Jersey; he would go on to teach and mentor for well over forty years. Vladimir's past life experiences enabled him to be fluent or at least conversant in nearly a dozen languages so teaching languages was an absolute passion for him. After the birth of their first son in 1963, the young family moved to New Paltz, NY where Vladimir began a long and distinguished career as a Foreign Language Professor and eventually Department Head as well as Professor Emeritus at SUNY New Paltz. The family soon had their second son and moved several times in the Hudson Valley, settling in Highland, NY. A sabbatical in 1972 allowed the entire family to move to France for fourteen months as Vladimir taught in Paris and other locations. Before and after retirement in 1998, Professor Bakum and wife Oksana took hundreds of students to France as part of numerous programs abroad. Well into so called 'retirement', Vladimir continued to teach language 'immersion programs' that he helped to create at SUNY New Paltz. He also traveled to his beloved Ukraine numerous times to teach both French and English. The number of lives he touched as a teacher and mentor is too many to count.

Vladimir, like so many in 'the greatest generation', epitomized the ideals and values of the 'American Dream'. He loved his Ukrainian and European heritage as much as his adopted country, America. In addition to being a devoted husband, father, and teacher, Vladimir, like his wife Oksana, was a true philanthropist, donating considerable money, time and effort to over twenty-five different organizations and charities. The Bakums were leading contributors to the Children of Chernobyl organization, formed to help children affected by the 1986 nuclear disaster in Ukraine. They also actively supported organizations such as Wounded Warrior Project and multiple organizations supporting the treatment of wounded Ukrainian soldiers and civilians injured by recent Russian aggression.

Finally, Vladimir was a faithful and devout Christian who practiced in and supported the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. His faith and love of music was on full display as he sang in and directed church and local choirs for numerous decades.

A Memorial is planned for 11:00 AM Sunday Aug 19 at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Kerhonkson, NY, luncheon to follow. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee (www.uuarc.org), 1206 Cottman Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19111, or the Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarriorproject.org) in his name. He would want all of us to make a positive difference.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Poughkeepsie Journal on Aug. 5, 2018.

Memories and Condolences
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Kim Westley

August 21, 2023

I met Dr. Vladimir Bakum when I was a student at SUNY College at New Paltz. I had to fulfill the foreign language requirement at SUNY College at New Paltz. Therefore, I spent the summer at SUNY College at New Paltz and I took part in the Foreign Language Immersion Program in which I enrolled in two French Courses which were facilitated by Dr. Vladimir Bakum. I fell in love with the French language and Dr. Bakum was an excellent professor. I decided to become a French Major and I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in French in 1987. Dr. Bakum was my advisor and he also became a mentor to me. He believed in me when other people did not believe in me and also when I did not believe in myself. He was there for me during a very difficult time in my life. Dr. Bakum had such a passion for life and he was one of the most beautiful people that I had ever met in my life. I was very sad when I learned of his passing and I offer my condolences to his family.

Raj Saxena

March 10, 2022

I was thinking about Professor Bakum today. He was such a wonderful teacher and friend for a lost young boy in 1980s New Paltz. He will be missed.

John Payne

February 6, 2020

An excellent professor of French. A wonderful faculty advisor. As a member of the french club, I broke bread at the family home. I appreciated experiencing the tenderness of interactions I observed between Vladimir and his wife and young son. I was a grateful student of his in the mid 70's. I found the obituary today as I fondly remember the club events with Dare cookies and jug wine! So much fun! Merci pour tous, chère professor.

Pierre MARTINEZ

March 1, 2019

I used to be a Teaching Assistant at New Paltz University many years ago and will always thank Professor Vladimir Bakum for his warm welcoming and the enrichment I found working under his direction in the Department.
Pierre Martinez, Emeritus Professor, Univ. Paris 8
[email protected]

Sophia Ammirato

January 31, 2019

It's upsetting to learn of the passing of Dr. Bakum. He was my mentor and teacher during my first trip abroad in the summer of 2000 to Paris,France.
Dr. Bakum, I didn't realize the effect you had on me in wanting to teach but I owe it all to you. You had such purpose on the Earth and now you will in Heaven! Big hug!

White Simplicity Basket

Myra Mushka

Sent Flowers

August 5, 2018

It was an honor to have Professor Bakum as my college instructor. I will always remember his quick wit and knowledge. May his family know that he touched a tremendous amount of lives. Thank you for sharing him. His impact on this world was grand.
God bless.
Caroline Van Wagner

Showing 1 - 7 of 7 results

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Memorial Events
for Vladimir Bakum

Aug

19

Memorial service

11:00 a.m.

Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church

Kerhonkson, NY

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