Ellen Dagmara Laimins, born Heisters, passed away peacefully in New York City on March 7, 2020 at the age of 95.

A long-time resident of the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Ellen was born in Jelgava, Latvia on June 13, 1924 to parents Helena Simonova, of Irkutsk, Russia and Julius Heisters, of Latvia. During World War II, the family escaped the Soviet Army by fleeing to Tübingen, Germany, where Ellen received a degree in Dentistry. After the war, she moved to New York City, before marrying Peter T. Laimins, also of Latvia, and moving to Waterloo, Iowa. The family later moved to Chicago, where they raised their three children. She was known and loved by many, especially in the tight-knit Latvian community.

She is preceded in death by her husband and survived by three children and eight grandchildren in Hong Kong, Los Angeles and Newton, MA.

“No matter where my home is, I will always have a Russian soul.” –Ellen Laimins