Stella (Inopina) Shmidt

Stella Shmidt passed away peacefully on April 4th 2025 in Hebrew SeniorLife Rehabilitation center at the age of 95. She was predeceased by her husband, Mikhail Shmidt. She is survived by her loving sister Victoria; her devoted children, Luba and Ilya; her cherished grandchildren, Mark, Matthew, Alexander, and Veronika; her nephew Slava; and her grand-nieces Anastasia, Alexandra, and Elizabeth.

Stella was born Stella Inopina on the 8th of May in Leningrad, USSR. Her mother, Alexandra Glebko worked at the factory and her father, Peter Inopin was a military doctor. She grew up in Leningrad with her sisters Zinaida and Victoria. At just 12 years old, Stella endured some of the darkest months of the Siege of Leningrad—an experience that shaped her resilience and strength for the rest of her life. She was part of a volunteer group helping put out firebombs during Nazi raids on the city. In 1942 she was evacuated to Sverdlovsk from the city on the famous Road of Life along with the rest of her family. She returned back to the city in 1946. Her father Peter returned from war that same year but passed away very soon afterwards from wartime injuries.

Soon after returning to the city, she went to the Leningrad State University, studying in the Philology department. There, she formed deep friendships that lasted decades—even spanning continents. After graduating from university, she was briefly a teacher but later switched careers, getting a second degree in engineering. After getting her degree she joined the Institute of Precise Measurement Devices, a top-secret research facility where she remained until her retirement.

In 1963, Stella married Mikhail Shmidt, whom she met through friends. They initially lived with his parents before moving into their own home. The following year, they welcomed their daughter, Luba, and four years later, their son, Ilya. Stella poured her heart into caring for her husband, children, and all of the many members of the extended Shmidt family. Their home became a warm and welcoming place for frequent family gatherings.  She cherished spending weekends and vacations with Mikhail, Luba, and Ilya

She retired in 1984. In 1987 she welcomed her first grandson Mark, then Matthew and Alexander in the next several years. She took a very active part in the raising of her grandchildren and cherished them greatly. In 2006 she moved to the US to be with her daughter.

Despite her engineering background Stella remained a lifelong devotee of the arts. While working as an engineer, she was a cultural ambassador for her colleagues, giving lectures on arts, poetry and music and inviting artists to give lectures as well. When she retired many people in her department wrote her poetic tributes and stayed in touch with Stella just because of the cultural impact of her lectures. After retiring in 1984 she spent a lot of her time taking classes in different crafts as well as spending a lot of her time going to museums, concerts, and other cultural events. Even after moving to the US her love for culture did not wane. She often visited the Museum of Fine Arts and other galleries. Similarly she had great passion for music, playing piano and taking regular classes as a child before having to stop because of breaking her hand. She influenced the love of music for her kids and grandkids, giving a piano as a gift for her grandkids Mark and Matthew.

Stella lived the final years of her life at Hebrew Senior Life rehab. There she was beloved by both the staff and the fellow residents alike. She would always give everyone compliments in the hallways of her residence and the staff loved spending time with her. Her family is profoundly grateful to the compassionate caregivers who made Stella’s final chapter so full of dignity, comfort, and connection.

Stella will be remembered for her infinite warm energy, her caring soul and the generations of lives she touched with her kindness and grace.