Lois Dale Melnyk

Lois Dale Melnyk of Fresh Meadows, New York, passed away on August 26, 2025 with her family by her side.

Lois was born on October 27, 1935, in Maspeth, Queens, the daughter of Hedwig and William Caso. She was predeceased by her younger sister Karen. Her older brother William survives her. She was married to Bohdan Melnyk for 38 years until he passed in 1997. She is survived by her four children (and spouses) and eight grandchildren: Halia (Theodore) and their son, Samuel; Markian (Joseline) and their children Camilo, Katerina and Alejandra; Les' (Stephanie) and their children Zennon and Mattie, and Andrii (Larissa) and their children Danylo and Sophia. A NYU-educated, and Bellevue-trained nurse, Lois worked as a private duty nurse while raising her family. She enjoyed the company of her patients, learning about their lives as part of her bedside manner. For her work and kindness she often received gifts of appreciation, including a gold chrysanthemum pin, a cheesecake recipe, and even a pizza outing and a Lionel train set for her children. A devoted wife, Lois adopted her husband's Ukrainian faith and traditions as her own. We hold memories of her working late at night preparing pans heavy with holubtsi for ladies guild luncheons, pouring chocolate into molds to raise funds for parish trips, or baking goodies for winter retreats at Soyuzivka, the Ukrainian Heritage Center. Her children also remember her sewing their Ukrainian folk costumes and affixing patches to their Plast scout uniforms with a Singer sewing machine that she had purchased with her first paycheck. She also worked overtime to purchase our backyard swimming pool, which provided friends and family years of fun and cherished memories. This was classic Lois, always giving of herself, even sacrificing, to enhance the lives of others.

Lois was determined to live her life through her belief in Christ. This past spring she watched the Mission fig tree outside her bedroom window put forth its leaves. The tree greened-up and became the fullest it has ever been. By August it was laden with purple figs. Lois had nurtured the tree since it was given to her by a childhood friend as a housewarming gift over a half-century ago. With her encouragement (and a bit of pride) she gave cuttings of branches to family and friends to grow their own trees while permitting neighbors to gather figs, too. Her nurturing naturally extended to her grandchildren. Lois planted seeds of faith and kindness in them by filling their Christmas cards with Biblical verses. A family tradition emerged that had each child read scripture aloud. The sound of their voices and the fullness of their lives gave her tremendous happiness. Lois counted her blessings and shared the bounty of her life with everyone she met.

A funeral liturgy will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. at the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in Fresh Meadows, NY. There will be no visiting hours.

Lois will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery with her husband Bohdan Melnyk. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the following charities:

The Orphan's Aid Society, which serves orphans in Ukraine www.oasukraine.org

One Tree Planted, which works on global reforestation https://onetreeplanted.org