Nina Roditeleva

Nina M. Roditeleva, 91, of Ellensburg, passed away at the Prestige Post Acute Care & Rehab Center on Sunday, July 29, 2018. Funeral services were held earlier this week in Ellensburg, and Nina was laid to rest at the IOOF Cemetery on Brick Road.

Born in Krasnoyarka, a village located in the region of Bashkiria in the former Soviet Union, on September 14, 1926, Nina was one of five children born to Maskim Karabelsky & Maria Karabelskya (Bochkareva). She lived most of her life in Ufa, the capital of Bashkiria, and graduated with a master's degree in history from the university there. Nina married Ivan Ilyich Roditelev and they had one child - Maria. Tragically Ivan passed away two years after Maria's birth, leaving Nina a widow at the age of 38.

Nina spent her entire career as a middle school history teacher - a career she was very passionate about and thoroughly enjoyed. Nina's love of teaching was also passed down to Maria, who came to Ellensburg in 2000 as an exchange professor with the CWU Department of Music. Nina joined Maria in the U.S. in 2001, was naturalized as an American citizen in 2008, and thereafter made Ellensburg her home. Living in Ellensburg gave her the opportunity to pursue her love of gardening, attend her daughter's piano recitals at CWU, and explore the natural beauty surrounding her new home.

Nina is survived by her daughter Maria Roditeleva-Wibe and son-in-law Mark Wibe, as well as by many friends within the community. She was preceded in death by her husband Ivan, her parents, and four siblings. Memorial contributions in Nina's honor are suggested to the Prophet Elijah Antiochian Orthodox Church, PO Box 1210, Ellensburg, WA 98926. Steward & Williams Funeral Home and Crematory of Ellensburg has been entrusted with caring for Nina's family. Online condolences may be left at www.steward-williams.com