Robert “Bob” Klymasz (1936-2024)

We are saddened to hear of the passing of alumnus Dr. Robert “Bob” Klymasz, who received his Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1971 with a dissertation on Ukrainian folklore in Canada.

Dr. Klymasz was a Ukrainian-Canadian folklorist and a renowned expert on Ukrainian Canadian folklore. For most of his life, he was the Curator of the Slavic and East European Program at the Canadian Museum of Civilization (now the Canadian History Museum) in Ottawa. Always an academic, his research focused on the ethnocultural life of Ukrainians in Canada specifically on the Canadian Prairies in the 1960s – 1970s of which he has written, published and lectured extensively.

He earned his B.A. at the University of Toronto in 1957, his M.A. at the University of Manitoba in 1960, and his Ph.D. in Folklore at Indiana University Bloomington in 1971.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be sent to the Holy Family Ukrainian Catholic Church 1001 Grant Ave. Wpg. MB, R3M 1Y3 or to a charity of your choice.

For full obituaries, visit the Korban Chapel memorial page or the Tribute Archive.