Eugene I. Novosad, 88, psychiatrist, activist

Eugene I. Novosad, 88, of Feasterville, a retired psychiatrist and an activist in the Ukrainian community, died of heart failure Dec. 1 at home.

Dr. Novosad was born in western Ukraine and studied medicine at Karlovsky University in Prague. In 1948 he married Irene Sawchyn, and the next year they immigrated to the United States.

For several years he was a clinical assistant at Nazareth Hospital and Philadelphia State Hospital (Byberry) before completing his medical studies at the University of Graz in Austria.

In 1967 he returned to Philadelphia to serve a psychiatric residency at Byberry and remained on the staff. He also was affiliated with the former Rolling Hill Hospital and Eugenia Hospital in Lafayette Hill.

In the late 1970s he was involved in training programs at Byberry for nurses, medical students, and residents from Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Novosad became director of medical review, quality assurance and risk management at Byberry in 1980. He was an associate of the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians and served on the Joint Commission on Accreditation for Health Care in Pennsylvania.

He retired in 1986 but never slowed down, said his son Eugene. He was passionate about his Ukrainian roots and remained active with numerous Ukrainian organizations, his son said. For the last 25 years, Dr. Novosad was president of the Ukrainian American Senior Citizen Association.

Since 1991, he traveled several times to Ukraine and helped establish joint programs for doctors at universities in Kiev and Pennsylvania. At home he helped organize events including lectures on medical topics for the Ukrainian American community. A stamp collector, he was a member of the Ukrainian Philatelic Society.

In addition to his wife and son, Dr. Novosad is survived by daughters Roxolana Donnelly and Irene; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Requiem services are at 11 a.m. today at St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Church, 1013 Fox Chase Rd., Jenkintown. Friends may call at 10 a.m.

Memorial donations may be made to the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center, 700 Cedar Rd., Jenkintown, Pa. 19046.