Larisa Bolshakova

Tribute

Larisa Stepanovna Bolshakova (née Vityunova) was born on the 23rd of September 1924 in Orenburg, a town in the Urals of the Soviet Union. She lived a long, difficult life, which she filled with care for her loved ones. On her 13th birthday, her father was executed by the secret police. Her mother and two older brothers were sent to labor camps, and Larisa had to go into hiding from the authorities, moving between relatives. Despite the stigma of being a child of an “enemy of the people”, she managed to graduatefrom college and lead several careers. With her beloved husband Pavlik, she raised two daughters and two granddaughters in Russia. In 2002, the couple tragically lost their older daughter, Natasha, to breast cancer. The following year, Larisa became a widow. At the young age of 84, she forged a new path and travelled by herself to America to visit her younger daughter, Elena. Larisa eventually agreed to move to America, where she helped care for her grandson. She never learned to speak much English beyond a few words, but this never stopped her from being attentive and gracious with everyone she met. Up to her dying days, she insisted on learning the name of every single nurse, doctor, custodian, and anyone entering her hospital room, and always remembered the words “thank you”. Through her nineties, she travelled with her daughter and son-in-law around California and the Southwest. She was especially fond of the sea. Larisa adored flowers in any form, for their lively colors and aromas. She treasured gifts of floral perfumes and always delighted in colorful prints. She had a sweet tooth that reflected her tenderness. Larisa was a voracious reader, especially of mystery novels, and an inveterate proofreader, taking a pencil to any text set in front of her. She devoured volumes of crossword puzzles brought by family members from trips to Russia. In her younger days, she loved to cook, but never from a recipe. Should you trouble her for cooking advice, you had better prepare to decipher cryptic measurements. She cooked by feeling and intuition. She never wanted anyone to raise their voice, no matter the reason, unless they were an opera singer. For Larisa’s 100th birthday, her grandchildren flew in from out of state and country to join her for an intimate celebration of a century of life, marked with her favorite chocolate cake, bouquets of flowers, and a stroll in the park. At the age of 101, Larisa Bolshakova left us on December 9th, 2025, in Houston, Texas. She is survived by a daughter, two sons-in-law, two granddaughters, and one grandson.

Friends & Family

From Elena, Dmitry, and Timosha Messen, Dasha, Sanya, and Sasha Antonovy, Mitya Gorchakov, Dima Machekhin. We love you so much!