Michael "Mike" Ulyshen

Michael "Mike" Ulyshen, 92, died Saturday, March 21, 2015, at his home in Oxford, Ohio, of natural causes. Graveside service: 2 p.m. Thursday in Greenwood Memorial Park. Mike was born June 8, 1922, near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to Ukrainian immigrants Nicholas and Anna Prymja Ulyshen. The family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1924. Upon graduating from James Ford Rhodes High School in 1940, Mr. Ulyshen enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He rose from private to captain, flying F4U Corsair with the VMF-224 in Okinawa and Yokusuko, Japan. He returned to active duty during the Korean War, and was honorably discharged on May 26, 1954. After the war, Mike attended the University of Michigan where he earned a B.S. degree. He married Mary Alice "Bubby" Warner Aug. 18, 1947, in Ypsilanti, Mich. They were married for 31 years. She preceded him in death on July 24, 1978. Together they adopted and raised four children. During college Mike shoveled coal into a fraternity house boiler, flew in the Marine Corps reserves, and worked part time as a milkman at his father-in-law's dairy plant. He eventually managed Warner Dairy until it was bought by Ira Wilson and Sons Dairy (Detroit) where he worked as plant manager from 1948-1958. Mike joined Champion Paper in 1958 where he held a variety of management positions and became known as a "troubleshooter." His various posts with Champion included: division general manager at Dairypak in Fort Worth (1958-1962); executive V.P., Dairypak in Cleveland, Ohio (1962-1968); president of Lewers and Cook in Honolulu, Hawaii (1968-1971); president of Champion Packages in Chicago, Ill. (1971-1972). In 1973, Mike left Champion International and joined Alexander and Baldwin (Honolulu, Hawaii) where he was executive vice president from 1973-1980. In 1981, Mike married Betty Jane Hickman Wilchar on April 25 in her hometown, Fort Worth. They were married for 28 years until she preceded him in death Aug. 15, 2009. Also in 1981, Mike joined Princeville Development Corp on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, acting as president until his retirement in 1983. Retirement did not suit Mike. In 1985, he became the business manager for the Catholic Diocese of Hawaii. He worked for the diocese until 1990 and then finished out his directorship with the Bank of Hawaii in 1992 whereupon he officially retired. Mike and "Bet" lived in Kaneohe, Hawaii, for 13 years. In 1993, they moved to Fort Worth to be close to family and friends. The couple lived there for 16 years. They traveled extensively and enjoyed their retirement years together. Both were avid sports fans, had many dear friends, and loved to garden. Mike especially enjoyed golf and the 19th hole. One of Mike's favorite quotes was from Albert Schweitzer, "You must give some to your fellow man. Even if it is a little thing, do something for others-something for which you get no pay other than the privilege of doing it." He lived his life that way. Semper Fi, Dad. Mike was preceded in death by his sister, Mary Lane Gardin; and his brother, John Ulyshen. Survivors: Sons, Thomas Joseph Ulyshen and wife, Lenora, of Camden, Ohio, and James Michael Ulyshen of Kailua, Hawaii; daughters, Jane Anne Ulyshen of La Mesa, Calif., and Jodie Marie Harney and husband, Keith, of North Potomac, Md.; stepchildren, Pam Ball and husband, Mike, of Fort Worth and Bruce Wilchar of Austin; 11 grandchildren; and a set of triplet great-grandchildren. GREENWOOD CHAPEL Greenwood Funerals-Cremation 3100 White Settlement Rd., 817-336-0584