Lidya Dabuzhsky

Lidya Dabuzhsky, formerly of Brookline, entered into rest on April 15th, 2020 at the age of 96. Cherished grandmother of Edward and Sophie Dabuzhsky and beloved great-grandmother of Daniel, Ada, and Naomi Dabuzhsky. Lidya was preceded in death by her brother Alec Prut, her husband of 59 years Valentin Dabuzhsky, and her son Leonid Dabuzhsky.

Lidya had a love of language and literature, having been a professor of English language at a prestigious university in Moscow, Russia in her youth. After Lidya and Valentin immigrated to the United States to reunite with their son, she quickly put her English language skills to work by becoming an interpreter for the Russian immigrant community at Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare. Outside of her professional life, among her dear friends and family she was well known for her excellent cooking skills, elegance, and for the warmth of her heart. An exceptional dancer in her youth, she was often the center of attention at large and boisterous Russian gatherings where her love of life was on full display as she danced on tables and across floors to traditional folk music.

Lidya had a magnetic personality that warmed the heart of any person lucky enough to know her. While highly educated and opinionated, especially in matters relating to the arts, manners, and home-cooking, she was highly empathetic and never judged, gossiped, or made anyone feel ashamed or uncomfortable about their own choices or differences.

Despite having endured many hardships over the course of nearly a century of life, Lidya was an eternal optimist. She instilled this value in her son, her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren. Her spirit lives on through them.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in Lidya's memory may be donated to Hebrew Rehabilitation Center at https://give.hebrewseniorlife.org/giving