George W. Hnatiuk  Age 79  Beloved husband of Martha. Dear father of Gregory (Amie), Anna Sophia (Kevin) Dewey, Nicholas (Kathryn), and Christopher George. Loving grandfather of Madeline, Eliot, Aleksander, Elijah, Leah, Miriam, Noah, Gus, Lucy, and Timothy. Also survived by his brothers Bohdan (Wiebke), and Andree (Victoria) and their families.

Dr. Hnatiuk was born in the free city of Danzig, February 25 ^th , 1944, as his parents fled war-torn Ukraine.  They eventually arrived in the United States through Ellis Island on December 23 ^rd , 1949. His early years were spent in Philadelphia, where he attended St. Joe's Prep, run by the Jesuits. He then followed his father's footsteps to study medicine at the University of Innsbruck, Austria.

In 1973 Dr. Hnatiuk returned to the U.S. and completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at what was then Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, Michigan. Afterward, he completed a two-year fellowship in Hematology at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit. George was in private practice for more than 40 years, providing care and establishing lasting relationships with his patients and their extended families. These relationships resulted in spontaneous gifts of gratitude, including homegrown tomatoes, breads, roasted peppers, desserts and a variety of personalized tokens of affection, often brought in with office visits or dropped off at his home.

Along with his private practice, he held many elected hospital administrative roles, including Chief of Medicine for six years, Vice-Chief of Staff for three years, and Chief of Staff for six years. In his second run for Chief of Staff, he ran unopposed, an unprecedented event that signifies his extraordinary leadership.

Dr. Hnatiuk was actively involved in the hospital's Cancer Center, teaching residents, and running tumor boards. He was instrumental in achieving credentialing for the Cancer Program. As Chairman of the Cancer Committee, he was the longest-serving chair of any committee at the hospital. In addition to being recognized twice as Teacher of the Year by the hospital's Residency program, George also received many other awards for his service, including a National Award for his work in the Cancer Center.

The Jesuits' emphasis that each person is a unique creation of God influenced George's call to serve others. He worked voluntarily at MAPI (Michigan Association of Physicians of Indian Descent), a free clinic. His colleague, Dr. Garg, assured him he would waive the fact that he was not from India, in exchange for joining him for a cup of tea. When Ford underwent major layoffs, Dr. Hnatiuk and Dr. C. Kumar received permission to run a free clinic to support unemployed workers that spanned over two years. Along with Dr. Michael Geheb (President of Oakwood at the time), George also organized a Christmas caroling group, which visited every hospital floor. Other favorite volunteer work included serving on the hospital's Foundation Board, the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival board, and most recently, delivering Meals on Wheels. George never stopped finding ways to serve and did so with a compassionate and generous heart.

While George was grateful for his professional accomplishments, his love for family and his life-long friends was unquestionable. George adored his wife Martha, whom he met at the hospital on 8 North. He was so proud of his children and cherished each grandchild. He looked forward to extensive traveling with family and friends, watching Notre Dame sports, fishing trips to Belize, making pickles, reading countless novels, enjoying God's beauty at his beloved cabin in Manistee, and celebrating the Ukrainian traditions of his childhood. His colleagues, friends, patients, and family have been forever influenced by his willingness to give the very best of himself for the good of others and to accept everyone as an equal and as a child of God.

Visitation Monday, April 10 ^th , 2 pm – 8 pm with 6:45 pm Eulogy and 7 pm Prayer Service at the John N. Santeiu & Son Funeral Home. In state Tuesday 10:30 am until the 11 am Funeral Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Dearborn. In lieu of flowers, Dr. George Hnatiuk's wishes were that donations be made to the Ukrainian American Archives & Museum / 9630 Joseph Campau / Hamtramck, MI  48212.  Dr. Hnatiuk and his family were very proud to have donated their parents' extensive collection of Ukrainian folk arts and artifacts to this Museum in 2018-2019.  He was passionate about preserving the cultural heritage of Ukraine.