With profound sadness, we announce the passing of Marion Louise Rifkind, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother and revered businesswoman. She passed peacefully in her home surrounded by her loved ones on March 20, 2024. Her loss leaves an irreplaceable void in the hearts of all who knew her.
Marion Rifkind was born in Wolverhampton, England and attended Manchester University in England. After graduating with a BA Honors in Russian and French Studies, Marion worked on a cruise ship as a foreign language interpreter. In 1975, she became the first woman ever promoted to the role of Cruise Director, serving as a role model and pioneer for a generation of women in the industry.
In 1981, she formed a startup company and called it “Universe Technical Translation”. The company matured into one of the largest private translation companies in the world, with a dominant market share and hundreds of employees around its international operations. Her leadership style personally touched everyone she encountered, making an indelible impact as a leader and mentor. She built a reputation for service quality and timelines that continues to proliferate a thriving enterprise.
In the business world she developed trusted relationships with world renown Heads of States and fortune 100 business leaders, the likes of which included Vladimir Putin, George H. Bush and President Zemin Jiang of China, among many others.
In the late 80s, Marion established the Soviet American Chamber of Commerce in Houston which subsequently became the CIS American Chamber of Commerce. Her goal was to create an environment for US and Soviet business people to come together to exchange ideas and foster connections. She was honored in 2010, as one of the top Woman-Owned Fastest Growing Business in Houston and in 2011, received the Top 100 Diversity Award for a Privately Held Business in Texas.
Beyond her professional endeavors and successes, Marion also created a loving family. In 1981, she married her husband, Mark Krasnov, in Birmingham, England, and they went on to have four beautiful children: Edward, Andrew, Nicole and Jamie. Marion was the cornerstone of her family. Her boundless love, nurturing presence and unwavering support were the glue that held her loved ones together.
Marion was the life of the party, she loved listening to klezmer music and dancing, and you would always see her with Mark on the dance floor at parties enjoying themselves. She was the epitome of elegance and grace, always welcoming others with an inviting smile that left a lasting impression on all.
She leaves behind a legacy of strong values, dedication to Judaism, family traditions, and prominence in the business world, but most important an ever-radiating optimism that will endure through the countless lives she touched.
May she rest in perpetual peace, and may her legacy of love and leadership live on in our hearts forever.
Marion was preceded in death by her father and mother Joseph and Renée Rifkind. She is survived by her husband of almost 43 years Mark Krasnov, her four children and their spouses Edward Krasnov and his wife Marissa Krasnov, Andrew Krasnov and his wife Ashlee Krasnov, Nicole Krasnov and her husband Jack Histon, Jamie Krasnov, her grandchildren Benjamin, Jaxon, David, Joseph, Natalie, Jacob and Michael and her sister Gabrielle Rifkind and her husband Johnny Levy and brother Charles Rifkind and wife Simone Sandelson.
Funeral service for Marion will be held Sunday, March 24, 2024 at 2:00 PM in the Bender Memorial Chapel at Beth Yeshurun Post Oak Cemetery, 7445 Awty School Lane, Houston, Texas 77055.
