Igor Kertsburg

Obituary of Igor Kertsburg

Igor (Israel ben Shimon) Kertsburg

1941-2025

Igor (Israel) was born in 1941; it was a tough year to be born. 1941 was actually a terrible year to come into this world… and fate picked it to start his life. His mom, Nahama, was pregnant before the war started, and by November the front was already at the outskirts of Moscow. His older sister Sofa was only 9 years old. Igor's dad Shimon was a very good tailor of Savile Row caliber. He was a tailor to generals and so the Kertsburgs were lucky enough to be put on a train to Kazakhstan to safety. Igor was born right on that train.

His sister Sofa remembered that day as "the day of a great little miracle". He was born in the middle of the chaos of the war in the midst of darkness of the tragic hurricane that would go on to kill millions of people. She remembered that day, as if a beam of light and Hope was born.

I remember when I first met him: my impression was that he projected that beam of Hope, casting the light. And for as long as I can remember, he continued to exude a great warm smile and positive attitude. He was born an enthusiastic person, and for all of his life he was an optimist.

Igor went through his school years with great success, graduating from one of the prestigious Moscow universities where he met and fell in love with his future wife Lilia, and set his life on a great path of compassion and kindness. He finished several years of violin college training but later chose a career in engineering (plus his sweetheart went to the same school; fate was sealed on a promising music career.)

Igor's life revolved around family and kids. He and Lilia raised two wonderful daughters and 2 children of Lilia's sister, who tragically passed away from cancer. It was not a simple task to raise 4 kids, but Igor and Lilia did it!

Surrounded by great friends, with a stable life they built a wonderful home. But in the '90s the Soviet Union was falling apart, and a tough decision was to be made whether to stay or to emigrate. He chose family.

It was a huge sacrifice: to start a life in a new place with no understanding of the language and un-marketable professional skills at almost 50 years old. But, nevertheless, he stepped forward into the unknown. It was a tough choice. For a long time I couldn't understand the complexity of this logic or decisions that he faced in his life, and it was only years later that I realized his approach to life was that of an investor. Instead of trying to make something of himself by making others accommodate his ambitions, and prove something to someone, he sacrificed all for the successes of his children. He had a vision and it was on a strategic level; his plan succeeded.

Igor built and sustained a family where he and Lilia raised 4 children, 6 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren! His legacy is the family that he built, and it is well on the way to a great continuation. When Igor was born, his chances of achieving such happiness and longevity statistically were equal to Zero. But he persevered, beating the odds to complete his path in this world as a happy man who will be loved, remembered, and admired for his self-sacrifice, kindness, and warm optimism. Goodbye, our friend. You will be greatly missed.

Graveside Service, Tuesday, 12/30, 11:45 am at Emanuel Cemetery.