Dinah M. Fedyna, MD, FAAFP, 62, family physician and educator, passed away in the early morning of February 7, at her home, following a strong and courageous battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Dr. Fedyna had been an Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) member since 1985 and received its Family Medicine Educator of the Year Award in 2002.
Dr. Fedyna was born on April 20, 1958, in Youngstown, OH, a daughter of the late Metro Fedyna, a former city of Youngstown police detective, and Ann Onesko Fedyna.
She attended West Elementary School and Volney Rogers Middle School before graduating in 1976 as the class valedictorian from Chaney High School.
Dr. Fedyna was a member of the second graduating class of NEOUCOM (now NEOMED) and practiced medicine in Akron, OH, while working as a professor and course director at NEOUCOM. In 2001, she returned to Youngstown to see patients at the Family Health Center on Belmont Avenue, and later founded and opened Mercy Health Primary Care in Austintown, OH. In 2017, she returned to teaching at NEOMED and was the director of geriatrics, while also being a teaching preceptor with medical residents at the Family Health Center.
Very proud of her Ukrainian heritage and very strong in her religious faith, Dr. Fedyna was a lifelong member and generous benefactor of Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Youngstown. Dr. Fedyna was a founder of the bi-monthly community dinners offered at the Ukrainian Orthodox Center, was a member of the church choir, and was also a member of the Senior Ukrainian Orthodox League, which honored her as “Orthodox of the Year” in 2019.
Dr. Fedyna was a member of the Mahoning Valley Medical Society and was a member of the OAFP. She was also a well-known volunteer at the Canfield Fair in the Health-Medical Building’s “Ask A Doctor” booth.
In 2019, to honor the many contributions she made during her career in medical education and family medicine, Mercy Health founded the annual Dr. Dinah Fedyna Family Medicine Award for deserving NEOMED students planning a career in family medicine.
Dr. Fedyna leaves her husband of 22 years, Joseph J. Novicky, whom she married on November 21, 1998; her daughter, Natalia Novicky, a student at Youngstown State University; her mother-in-law, Barbara Novicky of Austintown; a brother-in-law, Steve Novicky, DC; and her extended church family throughout the United States. She will also be truly missed by her caregiver, Dorothy Norris; several cousins; and her two dogs, Buddy and Danny.
Due to the current pandemic and the family’s concern for the safety and welfare of others, private services were held on February 11, at Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Interment followed in the parish cemetery on Donald Avenue in Youngstown, where Dr. Fedyna was laid to rest next to her parents and family.
In lieu of flowers, please make memorial contributions in Dr. Fedyna’s name to the Dr. Dinah Fedyna Family Medicine Award, 250 DeBartolo Pl. Ste. 2560, Boardman, OH 44512; to Hospice of the Valley, 5190 Market St., Youngstown, OH 44512; or to Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 1025 N. Belle Vista Ave., Youngstown, OH 44509.
Vichnaya Pamyat! (Memory Eternal)