Ukrainian Church In LA Honors NBC4 Helicopter Pilot George Marciniw At Emotional Sunday Mass

The George Marciniw memorial mass held Sunday brought together a grieving community at the pilot’s home parish, marking the first church service since he and NBC4 reporter Eliana Moreno lost their lives in a helicopter crash the previous week.

A Home Parish Remembers Its Own

Parishioners gathered Sunday morning at the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church, located in Los Angeles’s Little Armenia neighborhood, for what became an especially emotional weekly mass. This particular church held deep personal significance for Marciniw, he had grown up attending services there and was widely known and cherished throughout the congregation.

The service included a memorial specifically honoring both Marciniw and Moreno, marking the community’s first opportunity to gather and grieve together since the tragic helicopter crash occurred in Chatsworth the previous week while the pair had been covering a breaking news story.

Personal Memories From Those Who Knew Him

Father Koshik shared fond memories of Marciniw, recalling how frequently the pilot spoke about his colleague Eliana, often in lighthearted, humorous ways. He described a familiar routine where spotting an NBC4 helicopter flying overhead would prompt him to reach out to Marciniw directly, jokingly asking if he was the one piloting it and where he happened to be headed.

The crash that claimed Marciniw and Moreno’s lives also resulted in the death of 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, a bystander who was on the ground when the aircraft went down.

Father Koshik revealed he’d actually experienced Marciniw’s piloting skills firsthand, having once joined him for a helicopter flight that left him genuinely nervous. During that flight, he’d asked Marciniw what would happen if the engine failed or the helicopter began losing altitude unexpectedly. Marciniw responded with a reassuring smile, explaining that he and his fellow pilots were trained specifically to handle engine failures safely.

That memory came rushing back to Father Koshik the moment he learned about the helicopter crash, initially refusing to believe Marciniw could have been involved given how skilled and prepared he’d always seemed for exactly this kind of emergency situation.

Bohdan Buchynsky, who had known Marciniw for more than six decades, described his friend as someone remarkably easygoing, characterizing him as almost perpetually happy and carefree in his approach to life.

Honoring A Dual Community

While the majority of Sunday’s mass was conducted in Ukrainian, church leaders specifically included an English-language sermon dedicated to honoring Marciniw’s memory. Father Koshik emphasized that the congregation considered Marciniw one of their own, extending prayers and remembrance for him while also acknowledging the broader news and media community he belonged to professionally.

What became clear throughout Sunday’s service was that Marciniw had built meaningful connections both within his church community on the ground and through his genuine passion for flying high above it. Father Koshik reflected on how deeply Marciniw loved aviation and helicopters specifically, describing him as someone who had found true fulfillment in his work, living out the old adage that doing what you love never really feels like a job.

Remembering Eliana Moreno

Over the weekend, Eliana Moreno’s family also shared personal memories and tributes. Her brother Johan posted photos on social media recalling how Eliana had worked at Coco’s Restaurant starting at age 16, famously bringing home pie every single day, a reflection of her well-known love for free food.

Johan also remembered his sister as a devoted Los Angeles sports fan, someone who attended countless games supporting the Lakers, Rams, Angels, and Dodgers throughout her life, painting a picture of a woman who embraced both her city and its sports culture with genuine enthusiasm.