Valentina Kondratiivna Beregulko

COLUMBIA - Valentina Beregulko was born on August 14, 1934 in the Eastern part of Ukraine. Her father, Kondrat Beregulko, was a jurist and her mother, Olga, was a home maker. When Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, Valentina moved with her mother and brother to the central part of the country to escape the German occupation. The journey took two weeks to complete. Valentina lost her father during World War II.

After her graduation from high school, Valentina went to the Baltic city of Kaliningrad and entered college to study the Russian language and literature. She returned to Kyiv after graduating from college and started to work in the Junior College as a teacher of Russian literature. She worked there until her retirement in 1996. She traveled extensively in Ukraine. She raised her son, Pavel, and niece, Irina, when her brother tragically died.

She liked to read, watch movies, be outdoors, spend time with relatives and friends, and play with her dog. Valentina participated in peaceful gatherings supporting Ukraine in 2004-2005. She has always been interested in current affairs, especially in her native Ukraine. In the 1990s, Valentina became a member of the Lutheran church.

Valentina visited the United States in 1998. She stayed in New York City and traveled to Washington D.C. She visited the White House with a tourist group, the West Point Military Academy. After her first visit, Valentina traveled to the United States almost every year. Valentina immigrated to America in 2010 to live with her son, Pavel. She liked to walk in the Congaree National Park and around the lake in the Sesquicentennial Park.

Valentina became a United States citizen in 2016 at the age of 82. She participated in the American election in 2020. She fought several health issues the last few years, after suffering a stroke. Valentina passed away on July 18, 2024, at age 89.

She is survived by her son, Pavel Beregulko, niece, Irina, and her cousins in Kyiv, Ukraine, Leonid and Nicolas.

Her memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, July 27, 2024 at Dunbar Funeral Home, Northeast Chapel. The family will receive friends from 12:30 p.m. until 1:00 p.m. prior to the service.

Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com.