Myron "Mike" H. Gural, age 84, passed away on Tuesday, August 22 after three weeks fighting Legionnaires pneumonia, a result of a longer battle with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). He was surrounded at Mass General Hospital by his loving family, including his wife Ruth of sixty years, sons Harry and Bill, daughter Kathy, and grandniece Lindsay Popper.

Myron was born in Newark NJ in 1933 to Harry and Mary Gural, immigrants from the Ukraine. He and his sister Olga learned Ukrainian before they learned English and grew up with an intensely close-knit circle of Ukrainian-American family friends. Myron developed a love for perohe (pierogis), the polka and other Ukrainian traditions. He also learned from his parents and their culture a deep generosity that he displayed throughout his life to the benefit of his family, friends and community.

Myron graduated from New Brunswick High School and Rutgers University, which he attended on a ROTC scholarship. At Rutgers, he met his future wife, Ruth Elizabeth Hanson of Teaneck, NJ. At family gatherings for six decades, he has told and retold the story of their courtship, claiming that it was a minor miracle that he was able to win her hand. Myron not only got the girl, he became the first in his family to graduate college. He subsequently earned an MBA from Rutgers, paving the way for a very successful career in business.

After graduation, Myron fulfilled his ROTC obligation by becoming a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He was posted to the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, living with other young soldiers in a tent. A favorite photo shows him in the tent with a newspaper clipping announcing his engagement to Ruth posted on the wall. His love for her sustained him through that period and for decades to come.

Myron and Ruth were married on August 3, 1957 in the Third Presbyterian Church of Teaneck, New Jersey. They were blessed with three children | son Harry, named after Myron's father, son Bill and daughter Kathy. The Gurals moved to a home in Park Ridge, NJ, where they enjoyed a wonderful 1960s middle-class lifestyle | with dad commuting daily to work and mom running the home. Myron took pride in fixing things himself and even decades later the children would often call him when they had problems with their cars. When he built something he would inscribe it lovingly to his children | from Dad to Harry, Billy and Kathy, 1965. He took the family on camping trips to Acadia National Park and other places, strapping a homemade luggage box to the top of the family Rambler station wagon. He taught the kids to look out for each other.

In 1969, Myron and Ruth moved the family to Bedford, Massachusetts. They became members of the first Congregational Church, which became the center of their social life and the moral education of their children. Myron taught Sunday school and served as a deacon. He became an assistant Scoutmaster, teaching survival skills and marching songs he had learned in the army. He coached little league baseball and boys and girls basketball, where the number one lesson he taught was the value of teamwork. Myron became a physical fitness buff before it became fashionable -- jogging around town, bicycling over 10 miles to work and back, and winning MVP of the Bedford men's fast-pitch softball league. Myron also played countless hours of driveway basketball with the boys, letting them win a few when they were young but then playing for keeps well into his sixties. He stayed physically active into his eighties | mowing the lawn and snowplowing the sidewalks so neighbors could enjoy them. A photo shows him shoveling snow off the roof of the house after the blizzard of 2015.

Myron had a successful career in business, rising to the position of Controller of the Atlantic Gelatin Division of General Foods. Later in his career, he sacrificed for his family by taking a job that required him to commute every week to Akron, Ohio. He was excellent in his career but he wasn't defined by it. He took greater joy in the fact that he put three kids through college and inspired each to be successes in their own way.

Myron and Ruth made the Gural home into an oasis for family and friends. They hosted countless dinners and family reunions on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and other occasions. Myron cooked delicious chicken on an aging charcoal grill and prided himself on excellent coffee made in a stainless-steel percolator. He was quick to offer a guest a place at the table and to share a glass of wine or a bowl of his favorite ice cream, especially with hot fudge sauce. He was an excellent listener but also relished the chance to impart a lifetime of acquired wisdom to the younger generation. He was a mentor to many. Every year, the Gurals joined the Hanson side of the family for a week at the Taylor camps on Blaisdell Lake in Sutton, New Hampshire. Myron taught the kids how to dive off the dock, row a boat, and play horse shoes and golf. He played loving practical jokes on the children and their friends | a source of lifelong entertainment. He and Ruth became hosts of the annual lake event, which welcomed the next generation of children as well as lifelong family friends. Myron was thrilled to introduce his beloved granddaughter Emma and beloved grandson Rudy to the joys of the family tradition at the lake. The children called him Gido, the Ukrainian nickname for grandpa.

In July 2017, the extended Gural family and close friends celebrated the 60th wedding anniversary of Myron and his beloved wife Ruth at Blaisdell Lake. Even after six decades, he loved to tell the story about how he was lucky enough to convince her to be his wife.

Myron was much-loved and will be sorely missed. A celebration of the life of his life will be held on Saturday, September 9th at 2:00 p.m. at the First Church of Christ Congregational at 25 Great Road in Bedford. His family invites members of the community to attend. A collation (reception) will follow the service.

"In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Crop Hunger Walk, which Myron and Ruth have done for many years. An account has been set up in his name at this address:

https://www.crophungerwalk.org/concordma/mikegural