Micheline Denise Sakharoff

Micheline Sakharoff (nee Villepelet), daughter of Georges and Julliet was born in Paris on June 7, 1923. She passed away peacefully, at the age of 91, on Friday, January 16, 2015, in the home that she and her husband designed and built for themselves in the Ventura keys. Three words that would most characterize her life are: Love, Art, and Education.

Micheline left her native France, her parents and her sister Marie-Therese, at the tender age of 22 to pursue a new life in America with the love of her life, Albert Sakharoff with whom she was married 63 wonderful years. Their meeting on a street corner during the liberation of Paris during WWII, and their subsequent romance by correspondence, was featured as a play at the RubiconTheatre, “Lucky in Love.”

They had one daughter, Katherine. Once Katherine was “on her way” in school, Micheline returned to finish the university education that had been cut short by the war. She was awarded several UCLA Fellowships and graduated Cum Laude before she pursued her PhD in French from UCLA in 1965. One of her proudest moments was when her Thesis, Le Héros, Sa Liberté et son Efficacacité de Garnier a Rotrou, published in France by Nizet in 1967, was highlighted and quoted at length by an important literary critic, Jacques Scherer.

She went on to teach at Whittier College and California State College Northridge (now known as California State University, CSUN). She was loved by her students and to this day is visited and receives cards, letters and phone calls from them. During her 25 year career at CSUN, Micheline served as Chair of the Foreign Languages Department and Dean of Students. She continued to be committed to education throughout her retirement and funded three endowed scholarships at Ventura College, and supported the Harmony Project which encourages music education through the schools.

Retirement did not mean inactivity for Micheline. For example, she sailed with her husband to Tahiti. Supporting the arts and music in the Ventura Community was another of her interests. This interest became a passion after the loss of her husband. She served on several boards including the Ventura County Ballet Company, Rubicon Theatre Company, and Ventura Music Festival. Her philanthropy, generosity, and engagement in the cultural life of the community were recognized by the Philanthropist of the Year Ventura County award in 2009 and the City of Ventura 2009 Mayor’s Arts Award. In 2012, she established a fund for an Annual Award for Women Artists through the Rubicon Theatre Company.

Micheline is survived by her daughter Katherine Reid; grandchildren, Alison Plante, Matthew Reid and Cameron Reid; great-grandchildren, Sophia Micheline Reid and Roland Anthony Plante; and by her sister, Marie-Therese.

Micheline was preceded in death by her husband, Albert Matvei Sakharoff in 2009.

Following Micheline’s wishes, her ashes will be combined with those of her husband’s, Albert, and scattered at sea in a private ceremony.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Ted Mayr Funeral Home, 3150 Loma Vista Rd., Ventura. Condolences may be left at TedMayrFuneralHome.com.