Anna Tarasoff

Our Mom, Anna Tarasoff, passed away on November 17, 2018, in Chula Vista, California, where she had lived for 19 years. She was born on May 5, 1923, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Anton Adamovicz and Helen Murawska, who had immigrated to the United States from Belarus. She was the second of 4 siblings. Growing up in an Eastern European community in Cleveland, Anna spoke Russian as well as English. She graduated from John Adams High School, then worked at Cleveland Trust Company.

In March 1945, Anna married Army Tech4 Boris Dimitriy Tarasoff, whose family had fled Russia during the revolution. They were wed in Cleveland at Saint Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral, where Anna sang in the choir. Their daughter and a son were born in Cleveland, and a second son was born in Mexico a number of years later.

It was hard for Anna to leave Cleveland when Boris’s work took him to California. She was strong in spirit and moved the family to the San Francisco bay area for some 6 years. She enjoyed cultivating a vegetable garden and peach trees, then canning and making jam of the produce. Here also she worked at a bank. Anna’s next move was to Washington, D.C. Both she and Boris had positions in the U.S. Government. Boris was a Russian language interpreter and translator, whose work included accompanying exchange groups from the then Soviet Union. Mom one time graciously offered to take 5 or 6 Russian visitors to the best department stores in D.C. as their personal shopping guide and interpreter. They created quite a stir as they swirled through the stores with armloads of purchases.

After 6 years, Anna made her most adventurous move when Boris retired and the family went to live in Mexico. Anna and Boris had vacationed in Mexico and loved the country and people. They lived in Mexico City and Guadalajara for 20 years before returning to the U.S. In Mexico Anna learned to speak Spanish and to prepare Mexican food, which she added to her repertoire of Russian and American cuisine. Mole was her absolute favorite. Anna was an amazing cook and baker. Her Easter feasts are legendary. She loved nothing so much as cooking for a crowd and for the holidays and having her guests enjoy her dishes.

Sewing and crocheting often filled Anna’s leisure time. A special pleasure was dancing and listening to music, from opera to big bands to mariachis.

Anna is survived by her daughter Barbara and son-in-law Manuel Rosillo; her son Raymond and daughter-in-law Sally; her son Adrian; 6 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren; and younger sister Vera. Her husband Boris passed away in 1995. Sister Sherry and brother Tony also predeceased her.