Tymofiy Minenko, a Ukrainian-born priest in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; his mother was Anastasia Krywonos.
He worked as a lawyer, and also joined the Canadian Forces Medical Services in 1976, eventually reaching the rank of captain.
In 1981, Minenko worked as an assistant to MLA June Westbury, who was at the time the only Liberal representative in the provincial legislature.
Minenko first ran for provincial office in the election of 1988, scoring an upset victory over outgoing New Democratic Finance Minister Eugene Kostyra in Seven Oaks.
In the provincial election of 1990, redistribution forced him to run in the riding of St. Johns against another incumbent, New Democrat Judy Wasylycia-Leis.