Ivan Wasilieff's Obituary
Ivan N. Wasilieff died unexpectedly on Thursday, June 6, 2013. He was 67 years old. Ivan was born in England to Nicholas and Lorna Wasilieff and was an only child. His family immigrated to the United States when he was very young, settling in Connecticut. He would often spend summers in Ohio with his aunt and uncle and spent a lot of time with his cousin, Byron. They were very close and Ivan always referred to him as his brother. As a young man Ivan attended Hiram College. Before he finished his education he was drafted in to the US Army and deployed to Vietnam. He served on the front lines. When he returned from Vietnam, he moved to St. Croix and lived with Byron and his wife, Kathleen. Ivan married his high school sweetheart, Judy. They lived in St. Croix, where he worked as a talented wood craftsman. After 10 years, he and Judy divorced. After he returned to the mainland, he met his longtime companion, Diana Apeland. They hit it off immediately and they lived together in Miami. Diana was transferred to Orlando with her work and they moved to Deltona in the late 80's. Ivan and Diana were together for over 30 years until she passed away in June of 2009. Through the years, Ivan worked doing all kinds of construction jobs. From wood floors to tile, doors to trim work, he was a perfectionist and a master craftsman with his work. Everything needed to be perfect, down to 1/32 of an inch. After work, he could often be found enjoying a cold drink at Blackie’s. He and Diana could always be found there together watching the NASCAR races. Ivan made many friends and acquaintances on his journey. He was very intelligent man. He had a great sense of humor and enjoyed a good laugh among friends. Ivan will be missed by so many and the many memories will be cherished forever by all who knew him. Ivan is survived by his cousins, Byron Kelch and his wife, Kathleen of Palatka, FL, Gwenda Marks of St. Augustine, FL and Cheryl Fightmaster and her husband, Art of Dayton, Ohio.
A memorial ceremony and gathering will be held on Saturday, June 15th at 12:00 noon at Blackie's, 2995 Enterprise Road, DeBary, FL 32713.
Memories and photos may be shared on the tribute wall.
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