Obituary of Azik Goldovskiy

It is with deep sorrow and profound gratitude for a life well-lived that we announce the passing of our beloved father, Azik Goldovskiy, who departed this world on December 23 in Reston, VA at the remarkable age of 100.

Azik is survived by two children: son, Igor, of Munich, Germany, and daughter, Tatiana, of Reston, VA.  He is also survived by his three grandchildren, Mark, Kristina, and Maxim, son-in-law Val, and a great-granddaughter, Bianca. He is preceded in death by his wife, Bertina.

Born in Ukraine, he came to Moscow with his mother, elder brother, and sister in 1930 to escape famine and pogroms in Ukraine. He spoke a mixture of Yiddish and Ukrainian and was required to learn Russian to start school in Moscow. The Great Patriotic War (World War II in the USSR) broke out in 1941, and civilians were evacuated from Moscow to the East when Azik was finishing the seventh grade. When he turned 18, he was drafted into the Red Army to defend the motherland from the Nazis. He joined the Paratrooper Regiment and was trained to be deployed behind the enemy lines. Most of his fellow soldiers were killed during heavy fighting in East Prussia while  Azik himself sustained severe injuries in his arm and leg. After a long recovery in the hospital, he returned to active duty and was retrained as a tank driver/mechanic.

Azik only came home in 1947, two years after the war’s end, and got married to his school sweetheart Bertina. Azik wanted to continue the education that the war had interrupted, but he also needed to focus on providing for his family, so he worked and simultaneously attended classes in night school to earn a degree in Engineering. Azik worked on various construction projects gaining experience and expertise. Later, he was assigned to organize a new department responsible for fire safety in public buildings. 

Azik was always very proud and enthusiastic about his work. Since then, he had occupied different managerial positions in the Power Engineering Institute till the time he retired. However, in retirement, Azik’s creativity and innovative spirit could not stay idle. At the time, fledgling private businesses emerged in the Soviet Union, and he founded one of the first cooperative businesses in Moscow. He had it registered as “Papyrus” and it recycled the leftover paper from the print shops.  

After 57 years of marriage, Bertina got sick with cancer and passed away. Azik decided to move to the USA to reunite with his daughter Tatiana, and her family. He managed to process all the paperwork and came over to Reston, VA in December of 2005 at the age of 82. By that time his chronic spinal disease needed urgent intervention and he had a massive 6-hour surgery on his spine. The doctors were astonished by the speed of his recovery. 

We are grateful that we could bring Azik to the US since this allowed us to spend as much time with him as we could, and afforded us the means to support his health to our full ability.

A man of multiple talents, Azik’s interests ranged from construction projects at his dacha, to gardening,  woodworking and writing memoirs. He had a special gift of uniting people around him. He was a linchpin of the Reston Russian community, organizing celebrations of various events important for Russian/Jewish culture. 

 Azik’s legacy is woven into the fabric of our lives, leaving an indelible mark on all who were fortunate enough to know him. We will all miss him dearly and in honor of his memory, do the utmost to follow his example throughout our lives.

The family expresses deep gratitude for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time. Your presence, condolences, and shared memories provide comfort as we bid farewell to a remarkable soul.

May Azik rest in eternal peace, his legacy enduring in the hearts of all who were touched by his presence.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to American Kidney Fund – https://www.kidneyfund.org  or to Plant a Tree 

For those we are unable to attend the service, please access the link below for a Livestream Video of the service. 

http://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/96007%3E