Nikolay V. Romanovich

Nikolay V. Romanovich, age 72, a resident of Glen Ellyn, IL, passed away on Sunday, September 28, 2025. He was born November 15, 1952 in selo Korostovo, Belarus to Vladimir and Anna Tur Romanovich.

Nikolay Vladimirovich Romanovich was born in the post-World War II Soviet Union. It was a difficult time to be a Christian and a child. Growing up, he was interested in living things, which led him to pursue the study of medicine. He also dreamed of sharing the gospel. He graduated in 1976 From Riga Medical Institute in the republic of Latvia, with a degree in Medicine. As a doctor, he specialized in cardiology and practiced emergency medicine, working as a reanimation specialist on an ambulance.

On November 7, 1972 he married Vera Lavrik Romanovich, who would be his faithful wife and partner for their 52 years together. Vera's indispensable support and dedication helped Nikolay to become an inventor, printer, and Christian leader. They started a family, which soon grew to include 2 daughters and 3 sons. During this time, Nikolay began printing Christian hymnals for his local church. Due to religious persecution, Christian literature in the former Soviet Union was scarce. Inventing silkscreen technology which could be assembled anywhere and printed with ink made from regular kitchen ingredients, Nikolay printed Christian literature and Bibles for both the church and the community at large.

In 1989, after years of harassment by the KGB, Nikolay was forced to move his family from the USSR to the USA. He was welcomed here by the members of the First Baptist Church of Wheaton, where he was a member and regular attendee. He encouraged his children to adapt to their new country and receive higher education. Nikolay worked as an entrepreneur, opening a printing business. He also studied massage therapy, joined the Christian Medical and Dental Society, and opened a small natural health clinic. Through the support of Nikolay and Vera, all 5 children have gone on to pursue careers in healthcare, engineering, and printing.

Nikolay valued agriculture and the importance of nutritious high-quality food. Through gardening and the raising of quail, ducks, and chickens, he and Vera made sure that their children and grandchildren knew how food is grown, processed, and preserved. Grandpa, or Dedushka as the grandchildren called him, would involve his grandchildren in his projects, such as planting, pruning, gathering produce, or mending fences.

Nikolay was a great dreamer with extensive knowledge on a variety of subjects, from violin making to Scripture, the enriching of soil to the raising of various animals and foul. He was a gifted inventor, making the tools he needed from scratch. Together with Vera, he persevered through the challenges of starting over in a new country, living sacrificially to ensure a better future for his children and grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Vera; his children Arina (Steve) Chapman, Olga (Victor) Roshior, Dmitry (Hanna), Vadim (Karen), and Nikodim (Sarah); his 22 grandchildren Stephanie, Godislav, Ester, Stefanie, Darya, Daniel, Samuel, Nathanael, Faith, Adam, Timothy, Evangelina, Martha, James, Magdalena, Mila, Emma, Graciella, Jonah, Ava, Iris, and Olivia; his brother Mikhail (Larisa) .
He was preceded in death by his brothers Vladimir and Sergey Romanovich.

A visitation will be held at Highpoint Church, 1310 N Main St, Wheaton, IL 60187, on Friday, October 3, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Refreshments will follow. Burial will be held at Wheaton Cemetery at 2:00 p.m.
Memorial gifts may be made directly to the Romanovich family.

Family and friends may sign a guest book at hultgrenfh.com. For more information, please call Hultgren Funeral Home at 630-668-0027.