Devoted and beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt and friend, Asya Pesok passed away Friday, May 12th at the age of 93. Born and raised in Donetsk, Ukraine, Asya and her family survived the Nazi invasion of the Ukraine with evacuation to Alma-Ata, where they endured hardship and famine. As an adult, Asya attended the Medical Institute in Donetsk where she received her degree in Gynecology, she practiced until her extreme eczema prohibited her from doing so, however, she later re-certified to become a Radiologist so she could continue to practice in the medical field to help others.
Asya met the love of her life, her husband, Iosif Pesok, while she was at University through family and friend connections, they were married for 48 years and their anniversary was on New Year’s Day when they gathered with their family annually to celebrate. They came to the United States in 1989, sponsored by her sister, Eva, to escape antisemitism with their children and grandchildren. She wanted a better life for her entire family, and they resided most of their lives in Rochester, NY together.
Even into her 90’s Asya had an incredible connection to her family and friends around the world, from Israel to Canada to Chicago to New Jersey/New York. Later on, as she moved to Richmond, VA with the help of her son in law and grandson she learned how to maneuver an Ipad; enabling her global connection with access to Facetime, one of her favorite applications as she would look forward to her weekend video chats with family. Also, daily she would receive emails with photo’s of great grandchildren and would respond with her witty suggestions, comments and general care for her family. Her thirst for life was apparent in the love she exuded and her sharp memory and know how kept up with her through to the very end. She remembered birthdays, milestones, exact dates and years of anniversaries and not to mention the stories and memories she would share of her upbringing and incredible life.
She was also renowned for her cooking and especially baking, including her “jewish pastries”, “rosachki”, “napoleon”, and the famous mountain cake baked for so many wonderful traditions and events. She loved watching concerts, ice skating, reading and just had a general appetite for knowledge and life. However, the most meaningful part of her life was her family.
She was devoted to her daughters Nelly and Rita, their husbands Yan and Henry; her 4 grandchildren, David, Alex, Elina and Kevin, their spouse’s Marina, Jenny, Joe, Bess; and her 7 great-grandchildren, Sarah, Zach, Abby, Isaac, Zoe, Leo and Zara, all of whom survive her. She will be incredibly missed and remembered.
Funeral services will be held at Mount Hope Cemetery, 1133 Mt. Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY on TUESDAY May 16th at 11 AM. CLICK HERE for a map to the cemetery.
