Dr. Vladimir Bakum

Dr. Vladimir Bakum [Володимир Бакум], (b. 1925 in Luxembourg; d. July 10, 2018, in Springfield, MA). Dr. Bakum, who could speak twelve languages, was by profession the Professor of Foreign Languages at SUNY New Paltz, and for many years served as the director of the choir at the Holy Trinity Chapel at the “Soyuzivka” vacation resort in the Catskill Mountains of Kerhonkson, New York. He was born in Luxembourg to Ukrainian parents. When Germany invaded France, the family was forced to live in one of the German DP camps. At the end of the war, he came to America and settled in the New York area. He devoted his life to teaching and community service. In the 1980s, Prof. Bakum was the director of the Ukrainian Cultural Courses at “Soyuzivka,” as well as being involved with at least twenty-five philanthropic organizations and charities. When he passed away on July 10, 2018, he left behind a large family, as well as hundreds of professional colleagues and former students.

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