Joseph Karlinsky passed away on April 18, 2022. He died having battled a number of exotic diseases, each deadlier than the other. He battled them longer than humanly possible, according to his doctors.
He lived and died surrounded by his loyal family. In the end, he could count on them the way they would always count on him.
Joseph immigrated to the US from the USSR in 1981. Born on October 23,1937, he lived through WWII, evacuation, starvation and death of two siblings and a parent before he was 7 years old. He was strong, bright and curious. Excellent student, he had to leave school early and find a job in order to support his family.
As every Soviet man, he served two years in the army. Serving in the Soviet army was not a walk in the park, yet years spent there became an unending source of stories he told throughout his life. The friendships he made lasted a lifetime. After the discharge, he went back to school, completing his education as a mechanical engineer, which in the former USSR may have been a respectable occupation, but didn’t bring financial stability. Joseph worked hard. He got married. Gregarious by nature, he loved being the center of attention. He acted in an amateur theater and was a captain of a standup comedy team. One of his greatest talents was making people laugh, something his young wife Polina truly appreciated. Their very first date almost ended in a tragedy, when Polina laughed so hard at his joke, she almost choked. They had three daughters. Having lost his father early on, Joseph wanted more than anything in the world to be a Dad. No matter how perplexing or challenging this job was, he was always there for them, always ready to help.
Antisemitism was rampant in the Soviet Union. The professional advancement for Joseph and Polina would not be possible and good education for their daughters would be unattainable. Joseph brought his family to America. Now he had to work even harder. He learned English and continued working in the field of mechanical engineering for the next 25 years. Whatever problems he had to face he faced straight on, be it immigration, difficult teenagers or a deadly disease.
He was diagnosed with vasculitis and later with pulmonary fibrosis. He battled them for many more years than any of his doctors expected. Up to the very end he stayed positive, curious and engaged. He listened to the news, was a history buff, a geography wizard. He remembered every politician’s name better than anyone else we ever met. He loved to read and tell stories. He had a talent for making people laugh. He loved his family. He loved a good meal, a good book and a good joke. He wanted to live with dignity. He earned people’s respect.
In addition to his wife Polina and his daughters Julia Tikhonov, Alexandra Goldvarg and Anna Karlinsky, Joseph is survived by his grandchildren Iris, Bella, Max and Eric. He was preceded in passing by his father Aaron Karlinsky, his mother Rachel Gaber Karlinsky, sister Vera and brother Vladimir.
The service for Joseph will be held on April 22, 2022 at the Forest Park, the Woodland Cemetery at 11:00 am.
Services
Graveside Service
Fri. Apr. 22, 2022
11:00 am
Forest Park The Woodlands Cemetery
18000 Interstate 45 South
The Woodlands , TX 77384.
Forest Park The Woodlands Cemetery
The Woodlands , TX 77384.
The Woodlands , TX 77384.
Joseph Karlinsky passed away on April 18, 2022. He died having battled a number of exotic diseases, each deadlier than the other. He battled them longer than humanly possible, according to his doctors.
He lived and died surrounded by his loyal family. In the end, he could count on them the way they would always count on him.
Joseph immigrated to the US from the USSR in 1981. Born on October 23,1937, he lived through WWII, evacuation, starvation and death of two siblings and a parent before he was 7 years old. He was strong, bright and curious. Excellent student, he had to leave school early and find a job in order to support his family.
As every Soviet man, he served two years in the army. Serving in the Soviet army was not a walk in the park, yet years spent there became an unending source of stories he told throughout his life. The friendships he made lasted a lifetime. After the discharge, he went back to school, completing his education as a mechanical engineer, which in the former USSR may have been a respectable occupation, but didn’t bring financial stability. Joseph worked hard. He got married. Gregarious by nature, he loved being the center of attention. He acted in an amateur theater and was a captain of a standup comedy team. One of his greatest talents was making people laugh, something his young wife Polina truly appreciated. Their very first date almost ended in a tragedy, when Polina laughed so hard at his joke, she almost choked. They had three daughters. Having lost his father early on, Joseph wanted more than anything in the world to be a Dad. No matter how perplexing or challenging this job was, he was always there for them, always ready to help.
Antisemitism was rampant in the Soviet Union. The professional advancement for Joseph and Polina would not be possible and good education for their daughters would be unattainable. Joseph brought his family to America. Now he had to work even harder. He learned English and continued working in the field of mechanical engineering for the next 25 years. Whatever problems he had to face he faced straight on, be it immigration, difficult teenagers or a deadly disease.
He was diagnosed with vasculitis and later with pulmonary fibrosis. He battled them for many more years than any of his doctors expected. Up to the very end he stayed positive, curious and engaged. He listened to the news, was a history buff, a geography wizard. He remembered every politician’s name better than anyone else we ever met. He loved to read and tell stories. He had a talent for making people laugh. He loved his family. He loved a good meal, a good book and a good joke. He wanted to live with dignity. He earned people’s respect.
In addition to his wife Polina and his daughters Julia Tikhonov, Alexandra Goldvarg and Anna Karlinsky, Joseph is survived by his grandchildren Iris, Bella, Max and Eric. He was preceded in passing by his father Aaron Karlinsky, his mother Rachel Gaber Karlinsky, sister Vera and brother Vladimir.
The service for Joseph will be held on April 22, 2022 at the Forest Park, the Woodland Cemetery at 11:00 am.
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