Obituary: Nick Sarden Semenuk

Nick Sarden Semenuk, chemist and longtime pharmaceutical researcher, dies at 89 in Portland

A man who crossed continents, built a career in pharmaceutical chemistry, and settled in Maine after 43 years in New Jersey has died at the age of 89. Nick Sarden Semenuk passed away on June 25, 2026, in Portland.

Semenuk was born on June 16, 1937, in Nestow, Alberta, Canada, one of two sons of Ukrainian immigrants Katie Kynsh Semenuk and Sarden Semenuk. He grew up on a small farm in a prairie settlement where modern conveniences were scarce—electricity and running water were not yet part of daily life—but where his family provided stability and his own sharp mind pushed him toward a different future.

As a teenager, Semenuk left the farm for high school in Edmonton, living with relatives who supported his education. His academic performance earned him a Governor General's scholastic award, which helped him enroll at the University of Alberta, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry in 1958.

That summer, he took a long cross-country drive that ended in West Lafayette, Indiana, where he began a PhD program in organic chemistry. Over the next five years, he conducted research, built lifelong friendships, and completed his doctorate. He also met Joan Webster, an undergraduate, on a blind date. The two married in August 1963 and headed east together, seeing the ocean for the first time in their twenties.

Semenuk joined the Olin Corporation, while Joan took a position at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Within six years, the couple had three children—Steven, David, and Larisa—and had relocated to Lawrenceville, New Jersey, where Semenuk began a long career at E.R. Squibb, which later became Bristol Myers Squibb.

In Lawrence Township, Semenuk served on the school board, held various roles at the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville, and contributed to several charities, reflecting a lifelong commitment to education and community.

After retiring, Semenuk and his wife moved to Maine, settling in Yarmouth and later Portland. He became involved in the Yarmouth Community Garden, the Cumberland Wood Bank and Food Pantry, and the Sustainability Task Force at the Atrium.

Those who knew him described a man who, until his final days, found joy in words, numbers, nature, and a small evening snack. He was known for walking on beaches in search of unique rocks, glass, and shells, and for admiring flowers and trees. His daily rituals—solving jumbles and crosswords, reading books and poetry, checking the mail and news—were a source of steadiness for both himself and those around him.

Semenuk was predeceased by his brother, Sandy, and his son, David. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Joan; his children, Steven and his wife Marianne, and Larisa and her husband Peter; seven grandchildren—Tyler, Amanda, Emma, Claire, Sophia, Daniel, and Vincent—and a great-grandchild, Hazel. He also leaves behind nephews Harold, Michael, and Arrow, along with extended family and friends in the United States and Canada.

A graveside service in Lawrenceville will be held at a later date. In keeping with his lifelong belief in helping others, the family has suggested that memorial contributions be directed to the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville's Haiti Fund, in lieu of flowers.