WORCESTER – Pelageya "Polina" S. (Karasik) Shkolnikova, 89, of Worcester, passed away on Saturday, June 22, 2024, at Shrewsbury Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.

Polina leaves behind her son, Alexander Shkolnikov of Worcester, and her daughter, Olga Bukhareva and her husband, Alexander Bukharev of Worcester. She is also survived by her younger sister, Bella Popova, four grandchildren: Galina Shtivelman, Konstantin Bukharev, Natalie Shkolnikov-Ervine, and Dmitriy Bukharev, five great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews and her former daughter-in-law, Liliya Shkolnikova. She was predeceased by her husband, Ivan E. Shkolnikov, to whom she was married for 40 years before his passing in 1995, and by her older sister, Sonya Panfilova, who died in 2001.

Born in Kharkov, Ukraine, she was the daughter of Semyon and Rakhil (Lochovizkaya) Karasik. Polina worked as an assistant preschool teacher before moving from Russia to the U.S. in 1998. In her retirement, she enjoyed spending time with her family and will be dearly missed and remembered.

Calling hours will be held on Tuesday, June 25th, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Rice Funeral Home, 300 Park Ave, Worcester, with prayers at 11:30 a.m., followed by burial at Hope Cemetery.