Irina Shvayetsky

Irina (Kogan) Shvayetsky of Delray Beach, Florida, and formerly of West Hartford, Connecticut, passed away on August 13, 2025, at the age of 74. She lived an extraordinary, fulfilling life marked by determination, grit, humor, and an unwavering love for her family. Born on August 10, 1951, in Chernigov (now Ukraine) in the former Soviet Union, Irina was smart as a whip-as she liked to say, "too smart for my own good." She earned a degree in civil engineering, though her heart was set on journalism. A gifted writer, she cherished the long letters she exchanged with family throughout her early life. After marrying Boris in 1973 and having their son Alex the following year, Irina became the driving force behind the family's journey to a better life. Convinced there was no future in the Soviet Union, she urged Boris to emigrate-first in the 1970s, when Russian Jews were first allowed to seek asylum, and again in the late 1980s. In 1989, she succeeded, and the family immigrated to the United States. Having navigated the treacherous corruption of the Soviet system and rebuilt her life from scratch in the United States, Irina developed an unshakeable fearlessness that would define her character. She had little patience for the everyday anxieties that consumed those who hadn't lived through what she had. With her characteristic directness, she'd often remind her family and friends that their worries paled in comparison to the struggles she had overcome. This wasn't callousness-it was perspective gained through experience and delivered with love from someone who had genuinely seen it all. Once here, she worked tirelessly to bring others over, sponsoring her brother and her husband's cousins. Irina's loyalty to her friends was unmatched. She helped them obtain work visas, sponsored citizenship applications, encouraged them to stay with her until they had the resources to restart their own lives in the United States, visited them, and sent money, medicine, clothing, and toys back to Ukraine. And she made friends everywhere-at every stage of her life. If she heard someone speaking with an accent, she would ask, "Where are you from?" and, within fifteen minutes, know most of their life story. Step away from a restaurant table for a moment, and she'd have learned the waiter's hometown, parents' names, and much more. Nothing intimidated her-not language barriers, cultural differences, or unfamiliar situations. She approached life with tremendous confidence. She was also very proud of her background and would share her history and experiences, without reservation, with everyone willing to listen. She was an open book. Most of all, she loved her family. She was incredibly proud of her children, Alex and Tanya, often saying you can learn the most about a person by looking at their kids. She adored her grandchildren even more, believing them to be the most beautiful, smart, talented, and loving children imaginable. Her happiest moments were spent with her family-having lunch, swimming, talking, and, of course, telling them what they could do better. A voracious reader in both Russian and English, Irina also loved documentaries, theater, and lectures. She was fun, feisty, and opinionated-yet her kindness and authenticity drew people in. In later years, she learned to play bridge and always sought out new things to learn. She was proud of her ability to "keep up" with the times. Irina was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Boris Shvayetsky. She is survived by her son, Alex Shvayetsky, his wife Anya, and their daughters Nicole and Ellie; her daughter Tanya Bernstein, her husband David, and their daughters Lily and Rosie. A funeral service will be held Friday, August 15, at 11:00 a.m. at Beth Israel Memorial Chapel, 5808 W. Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida. Burial will follow at Eternal Light Memorial Gardens. Following the service and burial, family and friends are invited to shiva at the home of Tanya Bernstein to share memories of Irina.