With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the repose of Archpriest Paul Pyrch, an alumnus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary. Father Paul fell asleep in the Lord Tuesday, December 2, 2025, surrounded by family in Virginia Beach, VA.
The Very Rev. Paul Pyrch was born on August 4, 1938 to Paul and Rose Pyrch in Pittsburgh, PA. Growing up in a Russian-immigrant household deeply rooted in the local Orthodox Church led him to pursue a life in the priesthood. After completing his undergraduate studies in Theology and Music at Columbia University, he began his studies at St. Vladimir’s Seminary in September 1956. He married Virginia Dofner in 1961 and nine months later was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by the late Archbishop Benjamin of Pittsburgh, on June 3, 1962.
He was assigned to a small parish in Royalton, IL where, in ten years, he revitalized the parish, making it one of the more active parishes in the Midwest. Under his leadership, this small parish raised thousands of dollars for St. Vladimir’s Seminary in his drive to call others to God’s service.
After his assignment to his home parish in Ambridge, PA, Fr. Paul was commissioned into the United States Navy as an Eastern Orthodox Chaplain in 1975.
“Father Paul was an advocate for St. Vladimir’s Seminary and was one of the first chaplains to attend our Summer Institute—in fact, he was responsible for the Navy’s recognition of St. Vladimir’s Seminary as a school whose credit would be accepted by the Navy of those military chaplains who attended the Summer Institute,” recalled Professor Emeritus David Drillock, who entered the Seminary together with Fr. Paul in 1956. “Father Paul’s dedication and faithful service to Christ’s Holy Church was an inspiration to others, as he fostered nine priestly vocations for the Orthodox Church. I know at least five of these persons who attended and graduated from St. Vladimir’s Seminary.
“Through the years he served as a mentor to young priests who sought his advice and spiritual direction, especially those in divine service to Orthodox Christians in our armed services.”
Father Paul served the military community honorably for twenty-three years while receiving numerous personal awards for his ministry to thousands of sailors and marines around the world. He served three tours of duty with the United States Marine Corps—quite likely among his favorite duty stations—and was the first Orthodox chaplain ever assigned to a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS NIMITZ, one of a total of twenty-three US Naval ships on which he served throughout his career. His knowledge of Russian enabled him to provide assistance to commanding officers in translating incoming messages from Soviet ships during the Cold War.
Father Paul retired from the Navy in 1997 and was attached to the Dormition of the Theotokos Orthodox Church, in Norfolk, VA. Ever anxious to continue his life of service, Fr. Paul also took a position with H.D. Oliver Funeral Apartments as an After Care Coordinator, providing grief counseling to families in the Hampton Roads area. Father Paul came out of retirement in 2010 to serve the Dormition parish for nine months until a new priest could be assigned, and later to serve the parish of St. Elpis in Hopewell, VA, (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese) for one year while they were without a priest.
Father Paul was preceded in death by his beloved Matushka Virginia Katherine (+August 5, 2020), his high school sweetheart, to whom he was married for 59 years. They are survived by their three daughters, Catherine Raisor, Elizabeth LaMotte (Bo), and Faith Pyrch (fiancé Eric Tilton); grandchildren Leah Raisor (Jenn), Rebekah Raisor (fiancé Troy Todd), Drew LaMotte, Kyra LaMotte, George Gerber, Johnathan Pyrch (Pashence); great-grandson Elijah Pyrch; Fr. Paul’s sisters Rosemary Pyrch Simpson (Howard, deceased), Carolyn Cunningham Ziady (Gus), and Barbara Pyrch Czerwinski (Tom); and many beloved nieces and nephews.
Information regarding Fr. Paul’s funeral is available on the OCA website, here.
May the memory of Archpriest Paul be eternal!
Top photo reprinted from the Dormition of the Theotokos Orthodox Church website. The military photo of Fr. Paul and some information included in this article is adapted from the website of H.D. Oliver Funeral Apartments, Inc.
