Family, friends and fellow parishioners gathered Sunday at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in East Hollywood to remember veteran NBCLA pilot George Marciniw.
Known to many in the community as Yurko, Marciniw grew up attending the church with his family and remained connected to the parish throughout his life. The special service brought together people who had known him for decades and are still struggling to come to terms with his loss.
“I just can’t get over it because just a week, two weeks ago, he was sitting around next to me in church,” Walter Matla, a parishioner, said. “It’s just difficult.”
Church members said Marciniw’s deep roots in the community made the tragedy especially difficult for parishioners to process.
“There are people here that have known him like basically all his life,” Marta Matla, a parishioner, said. “We’re still not comprehending the fact that he’s no longer here.”
Throughout the service, attendees reflected on Marciniw’s life, his faith and the friendships he built over the years. Many also remembered NBCLA aerial reporter Eliana Moreno, who was honored alongside Marciniw.
“You have to hold on to the memories,” Walter Matla said. “I’ve known him for over 30 years.”
Church leaders acknowledged the grief felt throughout the congregation and encouraged parishioners to lean on one another as they navigate the difficult days ahead.
The message throughout the service focused on supporting one another through grief and allowing space to mourn.
“The best response to help yourself is to cry. Just cry,” Father Ihor Koshyk said.
Parishioners were encouraged to offer one another comfort, share memories of Marciniw and talk openly about the impact he had on their lives.
“Talk about Yurko, how much you miss him, talk about Yurko, what you remember from your life with him,” Father Koshyk said, adding that those conversations can help people cope and slowly accept a “new reality.”
As the community continues to mourn, many said they are finding strength in their faith and in one another.
For a congregation that watched Marciniw grow from a young parishioner into a beloved member of the community, Sunday’s service was both a chance to grieve and a celebration of a life that touched so many people.
