Boris G. Nicoloff

BORIS GEORGE NICOLOFF September 6, 1942 – January 31, 2016 Boris was born on a Sunday in 1942, in Detroit, Michigan, to Very Reverend Father George Nicoloff and Popadia Vera (nee Buneva). Predeceased by his parents, our beloved Boris (“Uncle Bo”) will be sorely missed by his brother Nicolas and wife Elinore (Eftimoff) their son George and daughter Christine and husband Frank Gajor, and family Christian and Alexandra; his brother Deacon Clement and wife Audrey (Brewer), their daughters Nicole and Mara and husband John Benz; and his sister, Mary Ann and husband Nikita Lopoukhine, and their daughters Sofia and Alexandra ,and son Raphael and wife Melissa (Yule). At the time of Boris’ birth, Father George was away attending the annual convention of the Macedonian Patriotic Organization (MPO), as he had been in 1937 when his twin sons, Nicolas and Clement were born. During the births of their sons, Popadia Vera was looked after by loving parishioners of St. Clement of Ohrid Detroit parish, later to become St. Paul Orthodox Cathedral, in Dearborn Heights. As Boris grew, he joined his brothers in rough-and-tumble adventures, keeping up with their energy. A sister, Mary Ann, was born in 1948 and Boris took on the responsibility of ‘older brother’ by playing many games of ‘house’ and ‘make-believe’ with her. She holds those memories very dear! Boris was a highly creative person, both musically and in a range of fine arts. During his childhood, he honed his musical ability with piano lessons and singing in the church choir. As well, he was constantly drawing colorful pictures. As a young teen, he organized and directed puppet shows in the backyard for the neighborhood children. With his brothers’ help, he built a puppet stage and painted elaborate backgrounds for the shows, which he then put on, while his mother served hamburgers to the young audience. During high school, Boris spent wonderful summers taking art lessons and drawing portraits of family members who posed patiently on the front porch. Boris was an exceptional student and made his parents very proud of his achievements. He was given a full scholarship for three years at Cranbrook School, a prestigious college-prep high school outside of Detroit, graduating in 1960. He then won a full scholarship for one year of study in England at King’s College. During that year, he traveled to Bulgaria and Macedonia to meet his grand-parents, aunts, uncles and cousins, which was a very significant time for him. Boris attended Harvard University, financed by scholarships and student jobs, graduating in 1966 with a Bachelor’s Degree, majoring in Russian and Slavic studies. During his undergraduate years, he formed the Harvard-Radcliffe Byzantine Russian Liturgical Choir in 1965. At 22 years old, he taught over 30 students (and some professors) how to sing Orthodox hymns in both Church Slavonic and Greek, by transliterating the foreign words into English syllables. He also ensured that the choir members understood the spiritual meaning and significance of the hymns. Some of the choir members converted to Orthodox Christianity from this experience. Over the three years of his direction, the choir performed concerts which were also recorded, with very positive reviews in “The Harvard Crimson”. His life was founded upon his faith in God and his Orthodox Christianity. Boris attended St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, completing a Master’s in Divinity in 1969. While there, he was very involved in extra-curricular activities; he directed the St. Vladimir’s Octet, a choir of 8 seminarians who traveled across the U.S. during two summer breaks, to raise awareness and funds for the Seminary. His fellow seminarians have fond memories of those trips. He was on the editorial board of “Concern Magazine”, a seminal Orthodox Christian publication aimed at university students; Boris wrote articles and drew illustrations for the journal. Also, as a seminarian, he was a main organizer of the St. Vladimir’s college retreats led by Father Alexander Schmemann and Fr. John Meyendorff, held over the Christmas breaks. Many church leaders remember these retreats as significant events in their spiritual formation. As well, these retreats were the occasions for many couples to meet – his sister, Mary Ann met her future husband, Nikita, at one of these retreats. Boris’ Macedonian-Bulgarian heritage was central to his identity. While at Cranbrook, he wrote an extensive paper on the life of his aunt, Mara Buneva (his mother’s sister) and her courageous act in 1928 for the freedom of her people. Throughout his life, Boris continued to research Mara’s story, finding original photos and articles. Boris was an active member of the Macedonian Patriotic Organization, especially loving the Macedonian music and dancing during the annual conventions and events. After seminary, for several years in the 1970’s, Boris was the full-time choir director at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Chicago. He was active with the Orthodox Christian Fellowship in Chicago. During those years, he also had several contracts with the United States Information Agency (USIA) to travel to Bulgaria and Russia with exhibitions on life in the United States. Boris’ knowledge of the Bulgarian and Russian languages enabled him to engage directly with the local people and explain the exhibits. His intellectual curiosity was very wide; he read extensively. He was always well-informed and loved to engage in discussions on historical events, as well as current affairs. His love for singing also led him to take opera lessons and to be part of the chorus for the Chicago Opera Lyra Company and the Detroit Opera Company. During the late 1970’s into the early 80’s, he embarked on a new path which combined his intellectual interest, his faith and his artistic talents. He researched widely and taught himself to write icons, developing his own unique style while respecting the traditional approach. He painted an entire iconostasis for St. Paul Orthodox Cathedral in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, where his father was the priest for many years. Boris embraced new technologies and explored new media to create his artwork and designs. His paintings, drawings and prints brighten the walls of art patrons, family and friends. He took his role very seriously as “Uncle Bo” for his nieces, nephews and their children. Some of their most cherished gifts and toys came from him, along with souvenirs from his travels. Boris eventually settled in the Detroit area, caring for his aging parents. His care for them gave them peace and security in their final years. He continued his wide range of interests and was active for many years with St. Paul’s choir. Shortly after receiving Holy Unction, Boris entered eternal life on Sunday, January 31, 2016. Memory Eternal! In lieu of flowers, please donate to “Fr. Nicoloff Scholarship Fund” at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary: http://www.svots.edu/