VICTOR TCHELISTCHEFF

TCHELISTCHEFF-- Victor V., Jr. Victor, age 91, passed peacefully in his sleep one year ago July 31, 2021, at his home in New Smyrna Beach, FL, with his wife Marina and daughter Kiera by his side. Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia to Victor and Valentina (Ryzkova) Tchelistcheff, he spent his formative years there surrounded by a large extended family and the Russian emigre community. As the Soviet Army was advancing into Prague at the end of World War II, Victor, his parents and younger sister Maria fled Prachatice, Czechoslovakia, where an American colonel urged them to flee with their permit to enter France valid only until the end of August, 1945. After a perilous journey, the family was unable to reach France by that date thus, they lived in war-torn Munich, Germany for almost three years. In March of 1948, the family immigrated to the United States and settled in the San Francisco Bay Area. Victor graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, earning a degree in Civil Engineering. He served in the United States Army Reserve, with duties including instructor and translator of Russian at the Army Language School in Monterey, CA. At the 1960 Winter Olympic Games at Squaw Valley, CA, Victor served as an American translator for the Soviet Olympic team. In February 1958, Victor married Marina Cheremshanksy, whom he had first met through their families in Prague, when she was four years old and he was nine. The majority of Victor's professional career was spent working for Kaiser Engineers & Kaiser Cement, living with his young family in Pakistan, Israel, Indonesia and Thailand, with further work in China and Polynesia. He was fluent in Russian, Czech, German, English, and could also converse in Japanese, Hebrew, Bahasha Indonesia and Thai. After retiring and moving to his beloved house on the Indian River in Florida, Victor volunteered with the International Executive Service Corps, and together with Marina, they spent time in Estonia, Guatemala, and Nizhni Novgorod and Moscow, Russia. Victor was an avid skier, sailor, and excelled as a chef. We will miss his smile, his sense of humor, the twinkle in his eyes, his zest for life, and his wise counsel. Although he has passed, the memories he left and the impact on all who knew him live on. He had a long, rewarding and abundant life, enjoying his treasured family and wonderful friends from around the world. As we say in Russian, eternal memory, eternal rest. Victor is survived by his wife of 63 years, Marina; his sister Maria; daughter Kiera of Strasbourg, France; son Andre and wife Alexandra of New Smyrna Beach, FL; son Mark and wife Yulia of Berlin, Germany; grandchildren Vadim, Sune, Paul, Dina, Maria, Natalia, Michael, Vera and Aleksei. His funeral was held on August 5, 2021 at the St. Andrews Russian Orthodox Church in Daytona Beach, FL. At his request, memorial donations may be made to a charity of your choice.