Very Reverend Eugene P. Yackanich
formerly of Brownsville
Very Reverend Eugene P. Yackanich, of North Port, Fla., fell asleep in his Lord Friday, December 19, 2025.
He was born July 30, 1939, in Trauger, the son of the late Reverend Demetrius and Pauline Horvay Yackanich.
Archpriest Eugene graduated from Brownsville High School, Brownsville, in 1957. He then earned a bachelor of arts degree from St. Vincent College, Latrobe. He entered Saints Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary for his theological education and priestly formation. He did eight months of study at the Oriental Institute in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood March 25, 1965, by Bishop Nicholas T. Elko.
He began his priestly ministry by serving as an assistant at St. Nicholas, Youngstown, Ohio and then at Sts. Peter and Paul, Braddock. His pastorates included Sts. Peter and Paul, Chicago, Ill.; St. George, Youngstown, Ohio; and the following Pennsylvania parishes: Sts. Peter and Paul, Patton; St. John, Uniontown; St. Mary, East Pittsburgh; and St. Elias, Munhall.
On the Archieparchial level, he served as dean of studies at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Seminary, protopresbyter of the North Central Deanery, protopresbyter of the Greater Pittsburgh Deanery, member of the College of Consultors, Presbyteral Council, Finance Council and Seminary Board of Directors, Liturgical Commission and the Administrative Board of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. In 2010, he was elected administrator of the Archeparchy and served in that capacity until 2012. He was appointed protosyncellus by Metropolitan William C. Skurla in 2012. Metropolitan William elevated him to the rank of archpriest November 24, 2013. He retired from actively priestly ministry in 2015.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his siblings, Demetrius, Jr., Alice, Melany, Dorothy, Gabriel and Ernest.
He is survived by his sister, Beatrice of North Port, Fla.; nephews, Demetrius III of Lake Ariel, Gabriel (Susan) of New York, Paul of Pottstown; and nieces, Karen Takai of Titeras, N.M. and Maria of Philadelphia.
Visitation for Archpriest Eugene will be held Wednesday, January 7, in St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church, Uniontown, from 2 until the time of a Parastas at 7 p.m. The Funeral Divine Liturgy will be celebrated by Metropolitan William Skurla in St. John Church at 10 a.m. Thursday, January 8. Burial will take place following the funeral at Mt. Macrina Cemetery.
Arrangements are under the direction of the DONALD R. CRAWFORD FUNERAL HOME, Hopwood.