OCA Communications recently learned that on the morning of June 29, 2008, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Archpriest Stefan Kapitanof fell asleep in the Lord at Northern Lights Regional Health Centre here, surrounded by his immediate family.
Fr. Stefan was born in the village of San Stefano, Istanbul, Turkey, the son of Kuzo and Georgia Kapitanof of Koman, Kailary, Macedonia. He served as cantor in the historic Bulgarian Church of St. Stefan in Istanbul for many years.
After retiring from service in the Air France, he relocated to Canada in 1976, together with his wife Konstantina and daughters Georgia and Velika. Fr. Stefan was ordained to the diaconate in December 1976 and to the priesthood in January 1977 by His Grace, Bishop Kyrill of the Orthodox Church in America’s Bulgarian Diocese of Toledo. He served as a parish priest at Saint George Macedono-Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church, Toronto, ON, until 1993. In 2006, he was elevated to the rank of archpriest by Archbishop Kyrill of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania and the Bulgarian Diocese.
Funeral services for Fr. Stefan were held on Thursday, July 3, 2008, in Fort McMurray, AB. On Sunday, July 6, 2003, following the Divine Liturgy, a memorial service for Fr. Stefan was celebrated at Saint George Church, Toronto.
May Fr. Stefan’s memory be eternal!