In Memoriam: Ms. Mary [Masha] Troubetzkoy
Ms. Mary [Masha] Troubetzskoy fell asleep in the Lord on the afternoon of Friday, June 4, 2010 after a brief illness.
Born Princess Maria Sergeevna Troubetzkoy in New York City on July 17, 1938, she attended the Compton School for Girls in southern Quebec and completed her education in Montreal. In her late 20s, she seriously considered entering the women’s monastery in Bussy, France, but at the prompting of the late Metropolitan Ireney and Archbishop Sylvester of Canada, she began working at the Chancery of the Orthodox Church in America, then located at Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral in New York City, in 1967. She relocated to Oyster Bay Cove (Syosset), NY when the Chancery moved to its current location in 1974.
In 1977, due to her knowledge of the Russian language and exceptional administrative skills, Masha committed herself to help with the establishment of Saints Cosmas and Damian Adult Home, Staten Island, NY, where she worked for several years. She later occupied a position in an investment firm on Wall Street while volunteering her free time to raising funds and organizing benefits for various Orthodox Christian charities.
Masha opted for an early retirement to care for her aging father, Serge Troubetzkoy, long-time OCA Archivist. She returned to the Chancery in the late 1990s, deriving enormous satisfaction in continuing her father’s work, helping in the archives, and serving as receptionist for nearly a decade. She never hesitated to offer her time and talents in whatever ways she could—a true image of the “wise and faithful steward.”
Funeral services were held at Our Lady of Kazan Church, Sea Cliff, NY on June 7, with interment at Saint Tikhon’s Monastery Cemetery, South Canaan, PA.
May Masha’s memory be eternal!