We all are truly blessed that Roman Terleckyj came into our lives some three years ago.  Roman came to this area with a mission of developing a nationally recognized performing arts program.  While Roman did not have enough time to fully accomplish his mission, he did establish a strong foundation for us to build upon.

Roman was a gifted man, blessed with imagination and artistic creativity.  He was guided by a belief that our lives are not complete without the cultural nourishment made possible through the performing arts.

Roman loved Greensboro and the area communities.  He was fascinated by the history of the area and loved the people living here.  He bubbled over with excitement when he talked about how the development of performing arts would make this even a better place to live. 

His belief in historic Greensboro led him to buy a house on Main street and he worked tirelessly to make Festival Hall a reality.  One day after touring Festival Hall with Ramon before construction had started, Ramon took several of us to visit another old building in Greensboro.  He excitedly told us that he was talking to the owner about the (free) long term use of the building for a school of dance for Greensboro and area children.  I looked around in absolute amazement and saw an old building with pitted concrete floors and cobwebbed windows.  Roman looked around with his usual big smile and he saw the future – what could be, while others of us were focusing only on the present and the obstacles he faced.  Roman was driven by an imagination that broke from the confines of conventional wisdom.

This was the magic of this man who generated huge enthusiasm and excitement for the performing arts among many of us in the community.  Roman discussed his vision for performing arts with everyone and every organization willing to listen.  His excitement and enthusiasm were grasped by a great number of people, who became members and supported the Oconee Performing Arts Society, with their work and generous financial support.

It was hard to say no to Roman.  He worked tirelessly and gave his all for OPAS.  Rather we found ourselves asking, “What can I do to help you Roman?”  On one occasion, I stopped by his office and he asked me to transform a small, plain white table into a king’s jewel chest for an upcoming production of Amahl and the Night Visitors.  He described what he wanted:  bright colors – red, blue, gold – sparkling jewels, finials, appliqués.  Being an engineer I had to smile at his description and hand waving as he painted the picture in his mind.  As I recall, my only comment was “Really? OK”.   The project turned out well and Roman was pleased.  For those of us working to help Roman, how could you do less than your best to help this wonderfully creative man who was working so hard for us.  

Roman saw OPAS as a three-legged stool:  performing arts programs, educational outreach, and the social relationships enjoyed by people supporting OPAS.  Of these, his strong focus on educational outreach was perhaps somewhat surprising to me.  Roman arranged for performers to give mini-performances at schools and at the Plaza Arts Center in Eatonton.  On two occasions, I slipped into the back of the room to observe the children.  They absolutely loved the music and dance and the interaction with the performers, whether it was by shouting “bravo” which they had just learned or by joining the performers on stage.  Roman envisioned that future OPAS development would focus on opportunities specifically designed for education and talent development of children.

We are honored that Roman chose to make us a part of his life.  Roman gave fully of himself in working to develop a strong performing arts program for this area.  He believed in this community and loved living here.  It is now time for us to pick up from where Roman took us.  We still have a long way to go, but Roman set our ship in the right direction, and thanks to him, we know where we want to go, how to get there, and we are confident that we will make it. 

— submitted by Gene Elzy