Rest in Peace, Uncle Vladimir
my "uncle" Vladimir passed away this weekend.
i loved him so much. he was such a bright spot in my childhood.
i can't believe i have something else to grieve.
he was a big, Russian bear of a man with a booming voice and the bearing of an aristocrat. he had an amazing life story; his family fled the russian revolution because his dad was a member of the czar's court. he was kicked out of yugoslavia for his radical views, ended up translating for the un. he was a spy during world war two.
my dad hired him at lockeed decades ago, and he and his wife and my parents were the best of friends ever since. they flew all over the place in my dad's plane, they took my parents to russia and showed them around...vlad could get around the rules sometimes because his russian dialect was aristocratic.
he always had hilarious things to say and was full of love and life. he always made me laugh, and he doted on me.
he's been really sick the past several years so i haven't seen much of him. i didn't want to see him really sick.
he's been friends with my parents for 45 years. this is a huge loss for us.
he and his wife would always come over for holidays, bringing gifts, hugs, and huge smiles.
i loved you so much, uncle vlad. i know you're up there in your Russian Orthodox heaven, probably smoking and entertaining everyone else with your stories. i feel guilty for not visiting you. the last time i saw you you were so cheerful, coming in in your wheelchair with a huge, warm greeting for all of us, pulling yourself together even though you weren't well. i know how much you loved me and i'm grateful for it.
you were the ONLY man in the world who could get away with telling me, "you are such beautiful girl! if only i was 30 years younger..." and telling my dad, "you have such beautiful daughter! how do you keep the boys away?"
he just made me feel so loved. we're going to the service on Friday, and then the burial at the Serbian cemetary. I'd love to go to the prayer service on Thursday night, because it's a special Russian Orthodox thing. I've never been to an Orthodox service before; I hear they're amazing.
i loved him so much. he was such a bright spot in my childhood.
i can't believe i have something else to grieve.
he was a big, Russian bear of a man with a booming voice and the bearing of an aristocrat. he had an amazing life story; his family fled the russian revolution because his dad was a member of the czar's court. he was kicked out of yugoslavia for his radical views, ended up translating for the un. he was a spy during world war two.
my dad hired him at lockeed decades ago, and he and his wife and my parents were the best of friends ever since. they flew all over the place in my dad's plane, they took my parents to russia and showed them around...vlad could get around the rules sometimes because his russian dialect was aristocratic.
he always had hilarious things to say and was full of love and life. he always made me laugh, and he doted on me.
he's been really sick the past several years so i haven't seen much of him. i didn't want to see him really sick.
he's been friends with my parents for 45 years. this is a huge loss for us.
he and his wife would always come over for holidays, bringing gifts, hugs, and huge smiles.
i loved you so much, uncle vlad. i know you're up there in your Russian Orthodox heaven, probably smoking and entertaining everyone else with your stories. i feel guilty for not visiting you. the last time i saw you you were so cheerful, coming in in your wheelchair with a huge, warm greeting for all of us, pulling yourself together even though you weren't well. i know how much you loved me and i'm grateful for it.
you were the ONLY man in the world who could get away with telling me, "you are such beautiful girl! if only i was 30 years younger..." and telling my dad, "you have such beautiful daughter! how do you keep the boys away?"
he just made me feel so loved. we're going to the service on Friday, and then the burial at the Serbian cemetary. I'd love to go to the prayer service on Thursday night, because it's a special Russian Orthodox thing. I've never been to an Orthodox service before; I hear they're amazing.
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