Nina Vladimirovna Rapaj

Nina Vladimirovna Rapaj, 92, of Lovettsville, Virginia, passed away peacefully on June 22, 2025, at Inova Loudoun Hospital. She bravely battled cancer for the previous eighteen months, with the stalwart support of her family, the entire amazing medical team at Inova Schar Cancer Institute, and her wonderful massage therapists Noi and Topaz.
Nina Vladimirovna Zadumova was born in Moscow, Russia (then the Soviet Union) on December 10, 1932, to Vladimir Zadumov and Olga Ivanovna. When World War II broke out, she made the decision to remain in Moscow. Sadly, she lost her father Vladimir in the War in 1942/1943, when she was just 10 years old. He was drafted into the People's Militia to defend Moscow and was killed in action. She and her Mom Olga survived on soups and other meager provisions during and after the War.
Despite this early hardship, and perhaps because of it, Nina was a survivor and thriver. As was not uncommon at the time, she was afflicted with tuberculosis in her teens and early twenties, but overcame TB with various treatments, including sanatoria, before antibiotics were available in the Soviet Union. She developed an aversion to sour cream due to constant feeding with sour cream to recuperate from TB. She worked at a laboratory during this time and enjoyed this work.
In Moscow, Nina met her husband, Daim Rapaj, in the early 1950's while he was an Albanian exchange student at Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, one of the oldest agrarian educational institutions in Moscow. They fell in love and got married soon thereafter. On May 19, 1956, she gave birth to her daughter Helen (Lena) Dickey (née: Rapaj). After Daim finished his studies, the young family relocated to Albania, where they lived happily among olive groves and extended family in Fier. In Albania, Nina studied languages and graduated with a B.A. in languages from Tirana University. She learned Albanian and worked as a schoolteacher. On June 4, 1965, Nina gave birth to her son, Konstantin (Kostya) Rapaj, in Albania. Unfortunately, by 1969, there was a major political rift between Albania and the Soviet Union, and a tragic but pragmatic decision was made that for the safety of Nina and her children, they had to return to Moscow, as other Russians who remained in Albania were being sent to Albanian prison camps at the time. All her Albanian family loved Nina and missed her very much. She never returned to Albania, but was able to visit with some Albanian relatives as recently as May 2025.
Upon her return to Moscow, Nina raised Helen and Kostya as a single mother. She worked as a radio editor and greatly enjoyed this work.
In the early 1990's, after her daughter Helen, son-in-law Sergey Dickey, and granddaughter Dunia Dickey, as well as their extended family, had emigrated to the United States in 1989, Nina initially visited them several times and ultimately joined them on a permanent basis in 1992. Nina took English classes and passed her citizenship exam, was a proud U.S. citizen and considered America her home. She spent many summers in Oklahoma with Dunia, her cousin Philip, and her late in-laws Nina Bogdateva and Leonid Aleksandrovich Dickey. Nina was always there for her family, and made friends easily and maintained relationships with friends from Russia as well, always remembering birthdays and mailing cards. She traveled widely across the U.S. with her granddaughter, and also took trips to Israel, Canada (including Niagara Falls), Italy, France, the Dominican Republic, and a cruise to Bermuda. Nina maintained a large herb and vegetable garden for many years, which yielded an abundant harvest of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and other veggies all summer long. She loved museums, historic homes, and botanical gardens, and visited many across the U.S. and the world -- too many to name. She loved music, dance and theater, and went to see some incredible performances as recently as March 2025 and a garden tour in April 2025. Nina was an excellent cook and made delicious Russian specialties. She loved celebrating any and all holidays. In her later years, Nina did Chair Yoga via Zoom, and became fast friends with her Chair Yoga ladies. Nina always loved life and lived it to the fullest, despite the various tragedies she encountered in her life.
Nina is survived by her daughter Helen Dickey, son-in-law Sergey Dickey, and granddaughter Dunia Dickey in Virginia, as well as her son Kostya Rapaj, daughter-in-law Mila Rapaj, and grandsons Kirill and Daniel Rapaj in Moscow. Nina was predeceased by her late husband Daim, whom she always described as being very kind, and her beloved grandson Peter (Petya) and granddaughter Anastasia (Nastya).
Memorial services and a funeral will be held in honor and celebration of Nina Vladimirovna Rapaj at Hall Funeral Home, 140 S. Nursery Ave., Purcellville, Virginia 20132, on Sunday, July 6th at 11am, followed by a burial ceremony at Union Cemetery, 12930 Lutheran Church Rd., Lovettsville, Virginia 20180, officiated by Pastor Phil Carl of the New Jerusalem Lutheran Church, where Nina and Dunia attended services and felt most welcome. Nina was Russian Orthodox, and always had a strong faith and belief in God.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Nina's honor may be made to Inova Life With Cancer (lifewithcancer.org).
Nina will be missed immensely by all those who knew and loved her. May she rest in peace and be held in God's eternal love.