Oleh S. Farmiga

Oleh S. Farmiga
September 1, 1940 – October 1, 2023
Oleh Stephan Farmiga passed away peacefully at home on October 1st, 2023 in the presence of his family in Clifton, NJ. A devoted husband of 59 years, a father to four, and a grandfather to nine, a good friend to so many, and a faithful minister of the Gospel for over 40 years, he will be greatly missed and deeply cherished by those who loved him, even as they rejoice in the wholeness and completeness he has found in eternity through Jesus.

Born on September 1st, 1940 in Ternopil, a city in western Ukraine, to Stephan and Olha (Chuyko) Farmiga, Oleh and his family fled during World War II to Argentina when he was five. He spent his childhood outside Buenos Aires and started a collegiate degree before emigrating to the United States in 1960. Settling in a Ukrainian immigrant community in New Jersey with his family, he enrolled in Newark College of Engineering to complete his engineering degree and met his wife Martha, who took on the challenge of helping him with his English and studies. They were married on September 12, 1964, in Passaic, NJ, where they started their family. Oleh was an active soccer player and ski instructor for many years, and loved spending time in the country tending his garden, orchard, and land in the Catskills. He retired from Hoffman LaRoche after a full career of over 25 years as a civil engineer and devoted himself to full-time ministry with Open Door Fellowship.

Oleh’s faith was deep, rooted in a supernatural conversion experience where he had a vision of Jesus' hand at the door of his bedroom. He felt challenged to read the Bible and started to read it in an attempt to find fallacy and justify his reasons for not believing. Instead, the Holy Spirit changed his life as he read and instilled within him an abiding love and insight into Scripture. Oleh leaves a remarkable legacy built through decades of service and faithfully teaching God’s word. His commitment to spreading the teachings of the Gospel, praying, and ministering to countless people extended across multiple continents, touching lives in diverse communities globally, including New Jersey, the Catskill Mountains in New York, Ukraine, India, Philippines, Peru, Nigeria, and Ghana. Those who knew him and witnessed the works of his ministry can attest that he was faithful to his calling to the very end and that his life exemplified the scripture from 2 Timothy 4:7-8 - “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Oleh is survived by his loving wife Martha (Rudakevych) to whom he was married for 59 years. He is also survived by his children Nestor and his wife Tanya Kosc, Evhen and his wife Melissa Mesko, Ulana and her husband Daniel Chapman, Tania and her husband Kyle Wright, and his grandchildren - Ivan, Andriy, Alex, Viktoria, Cristian, Halyna, Noah, Hope, Caleb, and his tenth grandchild expected in March. Oleh was the oldest of four siblings and is survived by his brother Michael and his wife Luba, his brother Andrew and his wife Sofia, and his sister Lydia. He also leaves behind many cherished nieces and nephews.

Service details:
Visiting hours are 2-4 PM and 6-8 PM on Friday, with a prayer service from 8-9 PM following, October 6th, 2023, at Marrocco Memorial Chapel, 470 Colfax Ave., Clifton, NJ 07013. Oleh will be laid to rest on Saturday, October 7th, 2023 at Ulster Heights Cemetery, 224 Geiger Road, Ellenville, NY 12428. Graveside Service will begin at 1 PM.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the ‘Life’ Church in Lviv Fund. This fund is for a church in Ukraine that has been providing critically needed care, clothing, and supplies to Ukrainian war refugees. Oleh had been helping them achieve their goal of purchasing their own building to be able to more effectively fulfill their ministry to war refugees in Ukraine. Please make your tax-deductible check out to Open Door Fellowship, Inc. and indicate “Life Church Lviv Fund” in the memo. Alternatively, you can make a tax deductible donation through GiveSendGo ( www.givesendgo.com/lifechurchlvivfund ).