The Gretsky family comes from Belarus, or more precisely from the Brest region (the village of Ogdemer), from where his paternal grandfather Terenty Lavrentiyovych Gretsky emigrated. Grandmother Veyna Maria was Ukrainian and comes from Pidhaitsi (now Ternopil region); he and his grandfather spoke Ukrainian to each other. His parents were Walter and Phyllis Gretsky; his father considered Ukrainian his native language. The family had four other children: Kim, Kate, Brent and Glenn.