Hana I. Tseytlina

Hana I. Tseytlina of Newton Center, passed away on Thursday, January 2, 2025, at 101 years of age. Daughter of the late Ida and Israel Nadelson. Wife of the late Ioann Tseytlin. Mother of Nina Goldmakher and her husband Viktor of Newton; and Vera Klepikov and her husband Sergey of Newton. Grandmother of Gregory Goldmacher of Lincoln, Leo Goldmakher of Williamstown, and Anya Klepikov of Hadley. Great-grandmother of Corwin and Lana Goldmacher of Lincoln, and Felix and Mira Goldmakher of Williamstown.

Hana was born in Lyuban near Slutsk, Belarus on October 18, 1923. An excellent student, she dreamed of going to study Literature at the Leningrad University, but as she was graduating from 10th grade, bombs started falling on June 22, 1941. Hers was a typical war story. At the insistence of her beloved grandmother Nina, Hana and her three younger siblings, Bella and the late Mark and Sonia, climbed into their uncle’s truck in their summer clothes. The uncle agreed to take them away, but only as they were, without any stuff. Later, having evacuated to the north of the country, Hana remembered running to work over the snow in her summer shoes. The truck got them to the train which followed the retreating Soviet army to Moscow. Once on the train, Hana looked back and saw a bridge get blown up behind them. In Moscow Hana got a job at an aircraft factory, which was subsequently evacuated to the Ural Mountains. As the oldest, Hana supported her mother and siblings by working there all through the war. Her father was away, fighting in the war. When the war was over, the factory got moved back to Moscow. Hana had described how during the Victory celebration on May 9th, 1945, she had run to the Red Square with her two little sisters, holding each by the hand. When Hana’s family finally returned to Slutsk after the war, the neighbors shared horror stories about the extermination of all the family that had stayed behind.

In Moscow, Hana met a handsome, interesting, erudite young naval officer in a uniform with a degree in Philosophy, Ioann Abramovich Tseitlin, who was 13 years her senior. They got married soon thereafter. She admired and looked up to him all her life and created a beautiful home for him, which he greatly appreciated. Their first daughter Nina was born in Azerbaijan where he was stationed for 4 years, and their second daughter Vera was born in Sevastopol, Crimea, where Hana lived until emigrating to America. For those who knew her, her achievements as a home maker were unrivalled. Everything was always done at 100% - Hana was aesthetically inclined and an avid student of anyone she could learn from. In 1981, Hana saw the emigration of her oldest daughter to America and then lost her husband to a heart attack later that year. In 1991 she left everything behind and followed her youngest daughter to America, where she began the second significant partnership of her life with Joseph Katsnelson, which lasted for fourteen years until his death. This partnership brought two families together and is a source of love and support until this day.

Because Hana’s own education was thwarted by war, she was determined to bring the best learning opportunities to her children and hustled hard for them. Her commitment to education, to beauty, and to music was passed on to her children, her grandchildren, and her great grandchildren, and continues to blossom in them. In America, Hana was a great supporter to her daughters’ families for as long as she could be and was a cherished neighbor and friend in her new community at the Parker House in Newton. She loved people and gave generously of her warmth and hearth, and people responded to her in kind.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Funeral Service on January 5th, 2025, at 12:30 PM at Stanetsky Memorial Chapel, 1668 Beacon Street, Brookline. Burial will follow at Beth El Cemetery, 776 Baker Street, W. Roxbury.