Iraida Tsenin

In the early morning of October 19, 2019, Iraida Oparin Tsenin passed away peacefully in San Rafael after a long, full life.

Born in Blagoveshchenski, Russia during the nascent days of the Russian Revolution, Iraida's family, comprised of her mother and three sisters, escaped with what they could carry to Harbin, China as the communist forces advanced.

As a young woman, her family moved to Shanghai where she met and married Konstanin Tsenin, a young engineer. Political turmoil followed her and she and her husband lived through the invasion of China by the Japanese forces and the communist revolution that followed. Two years after the Japanese left, Iraida gave birth to her only child Ksenia Tsenin.

In 1952, the family was forced out of China and immigrated to Sydney, Australia. They lived in Australia for 3 years until they joined Iraida's mother and sister, Vera, in San Francisco.

Iraida loved the United States, but never lost her love of Russian culture, language, and the Russian Orthodox religion. She and Konstanin were very active in the vibrant Russian émigré community in 1950's San Francisco.

In 1965, Iraida and Konstanin moved into what would be her last home, to San Rafael, where she lived until her death. In 1996, Konstanin passed away and she said she always missed him. Her last years were spent loving her garden, her community, her church, her friends, mornings and sunsets, her daughter, her granddaughter, Eva, classical music, her roses, hiking, her dogs, and lastly her generous and loving caretakers Pat, Sandy and Mama.

She is survived by her daughter, Ksenia Kay Tsenin, a retired San Francisco Superior Court Judge, and Kay's spouse, Roxanne Ansolabehere, and her grand daughter, Eva Denease Tsenin, a student and loving soul. We will miss her always and no life is too long when graced with such love.

The Trisagion Service is 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, October 23, 2019 at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, 102 Ross Avenue, San Anselmo. The Funeral Service and Graveside Committal will begin at 11:00 a.m., Thursday at Serbian Cemetery's Chapel of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, 1801 Hillside Blvd, Colma.

 

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