Ivanco, John

John Ivančo was born in Matiaska, Prešov (Slovakia) on October 5, 1918. He lost his mother in infancy and was raised by his mother’s sister. He worked on the family farm until he was drafted in the Slovak army. In 1943, he married Helena Krasnayova from neighbouring village Kobylnice, Brno (Slovakia). After the Second World War, the Ivančos settled in the Sudetenland. They fled the Sudetenland in 1948 to the refugee camp Ludwigsburg (Germany) where their second child, Anne, was born. The Ivančo family arrived in Canada in 1949 where they settled in Ontario.

Upon his arrival in Canada, John Ivančo worked initially as a farm hand in Ajax (Ontario). Afterwards, he worked as a moulder at the Fittings company. Throughout the years, he rose through the ranks to occupy a superintendent position. In 1984, John Ivančo retired. During the years, Helen Ivančo took boarders and sold strawberries to supplement the family’s income.

John and Helena Ivančo were known for their involvement in the Slovak community. They were strong supporters of various Slovak institutions in Oshawa and Toronto, such as of the Slovak Greek Catholic parish of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Canadian Slovak League Branch 6 and the General Milan R. Štefaník Slovak Hall and Circle. John Ivančo held various positions in multiple organizations. He was the president of the Canadian Slovak League Branch 6 (Oshawa) for two decades, an Overseer Chairman at the Central Assembly of the Canadian Slovak and the First District Assembly of the Canadian Slovak League’s president.

After John Ivančo’s death, the «Helen and John Ivanco Memorial Scholarship and Research Bursary » was established in memory of John and Helen Ivančo by their children. This fund allows undergraduate students to study Slovak history and culture at the University of Ottawa and scholars to do research at the University of Ottawa’s Slovak Archives.