Ksenia Sukhovey-5-23-2026

Ksenia Samoilovna Sukhovey was born on January 3, 1933, and passed peacefully at the fruitful age of 93 on May 12th, 2026 in Long Branch, New Jersey. She was a devoted mother, doting grandmother and loving wife.

She was born in the village of Baranovka in the foothills of the Ural Mountains. Ksenia graduated from Saratov State University in 1955 with a degree in Physics.

Ksenia’s first job was in Moscow for the Yakovlev Design Bureau that designed some of the most formidable WWII fighter planes, the world famous Yak-18 trainer along with the highly popular Yak-40 passenger jet.

She had her son Alex in Saratov in 1961 and in 1962 moved to Novosibirsk, Academy Town to pursue a career in science.

She worked for the Siberian Division of the Academy of Science of USSR on research in experimental physics focused on states of solid matter. She built her own test device to measure parameters of state transition of solid substances.  She successfully defended her PHD in Physics Dissertation before retiring.

Hard science was not her only passion. She loved to dance and met her husband at a dance party, where he impressed her with his rock and roll dance skills. She was one of the most fashionable family members, with a refined sense of style and taste.

Yet, she was not too prim for adventure. She played competitively on her college’s volleyball team. She loved outdoor activities, like sailing and going on traditional Russian mushroom foraging hikes. For some time she was a member of an - almost unheard of at the time - all-female sailing race crew.

During the end of her life, she lived next to the beach, where she loved to take walks and admire the ocean.

She is joined in death by her parents (Samuil Ilyich and Yevgenia Ilyinichna Sukhovey), husband Viktor Osipovich Khandros, grandson Mikhail Khandros, and beloved dog Fafik.

She is survived by family members Alex, Mariya, Irina, and Natasha who will cherish memories of her charm, hospitality, intelligence and warmth.