Masha Kazakova

January 16, 1991 – May 30, 2025

Masha Kazakova, beloved daughter, wife, friend, and fierce advocate, passed away after a three-year battle with pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer. She was 34.

Born on January 16, 1991, in Moscow, USSR, Masha was the only child of Andrei Kazakov and Elena Kazakova. She spent her childhood across many cities and communities—from Wilmington, Delaware to Boulder, Colorado, where she completed high school at Fairview after attending Tower Hill School. Her journey of learning and self-discovery continued through her graduation from the University of Oregon in 2014 and from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2019.

Masha’s career began as a public defender, a role in which her anti-authoritarian streak and compassion for others found full expression. Most recently, she served as an assistant attorney general in the Environmental Section of the Alaska Department of Law. She was thankful for the many mentors who continually provided wisdom and encouragement.

Masha met her husband, Andrew Stebbins, in September 2016, at the beginning of her first year of law school. They married just over a year later, in October 2017, building a life full of love, laughter, and shared adventure. In February 2025, they moved from Anchorage, Alaska to New York City, closing one chapter and beginning another, even amid Masha’s ongoing health battles.

Masha lived in many places over the years, including Eugene, Asheville, Wilmington, DE, Boulder, Portland, OR, Seattle, Bloomington, IN, and State College, among others. No matter where she went, she left an indelible mark.

Those who knew Masha will remember her as someone who never lost her ability to comfort others—even in her darkest moments. She was a gifted artist, a reader of both novels and non-fiction, and a skilled cook. She was always eager to get onto a dance floor. But perhaps most of all, Masha loved the outdoors. Whether hiking rugged trails or sleeping under the stars, she found peace and purpose in nature.

She was fiercely competitive and endlessly compassionate, quick-witted and skillful, a natural adventurer who sought out the overlooked and the extraordinary.

Masha is predeceased by her paternal grandparents, her maternal grandfather, and her beloved dog Laika, her loyal companion of 13 years, who passed in January 2025. She is survived by her loving parents, Elena and Andrei, her devoted husband, Andrew, and a wide circle of friends and extended family who adored her.

Her loss is immeasurable. But her spirit endures—in the trails she walked, the lives she touched, and the love she shared so generously. Her memory is a guiding light for all of us who were privileged to know her.

A celebration of Masha’s life will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to your local farm animal sanctuary or organizations supporting environmental justice or neuroendocrine cancer research, in honor of the causes Masha held dear.

She was, and will always be, deeply loved.