SOFYA BORISOVNA LAGER GALINSKY (GALINSKAYA)

Sofya was born on 10/15/1946 in Kiev, Ukraine to Mother, Gesya Davidovna Leschinskaya Lager and Father, Boris Lager. Boris later married, Bella, who became Sofya’s stepmother.

Sofya died at 1:47 AM on 12/21/21.

She was married to Mikhail Galinsky for almost 57 years.

Sofya and Mikhail married on 04/02/1965 and have three children, Gary Galinsky, Marina Ceballos (Galinsky), and Alex Galinsky. Sofya and Mikhail have five grandchildren, Megan Galinsky, Andrew Galinsky, Olivia Ceballos, Micah Galinsky, and Norah Galinsky. They have three children in law, April Risteff, Helen Tsukerman, and Forrest Ceballos.

Sofya and Mikhail left family and friends in the USSR, and immigrated to the USA in 1978, with their three young children, to give us a better life. We landed in St. Louis, where they lived in University City, Olivette, and Richmond Heights.

She loved music, singing, and dancing. She recited poems and remembered many lyrics from her favorite Russian songs. She loved to go to the botanical garden, especially the orchid and miniature train displays, as well as the winter lights, and she loved to ride the tram. She loved to see the holiday lights at Tilles Park by car and one time in a horse drawn carriage. She liked the sea, the beach, the pool, but she couldn’t swim. She liked to watch The Golden Girls, Cardinals baseball games, and Family Feud. She loved Circus Flora, especially the comedic guy and the trained cats.

She liked attending Shabbat services at BSKI, which later became Kol Rinah, synagogue and especially loved the cantor’s chanting and singing, and the Kaddish luncheons. She smiled a lot and always remembered things about our friends and would ask about them. She liked going out to eat and her favorite restaurants were Dvin, Stir Crazy, and Taco Bell. She liked watching the birds and squirrels eat the bird seed from the feeder, and she loved watching videos and looking at photos of her grandchildren and being on FaceTime with them.

She mostly loved her small family: her spouse, her sons, her grandchildren, and her daughter. She inspired her kids to be caring, kind, and polite. Taught them the importance of moderation, independence, and a dual language education. She taught the importance of grace and maintaining a positive attitude.

The three main programs and agencies that impacted her life were the Lumina Program with BJC Hospice, JFS (Jewish Family Services), and Kol Rinah synagogue, so please consider donating to one or all three of them in her memory.