Funeral Details

My heartfelt condolences. May her memory be for a blessing.
Love Lani

Lani Derby

Our most dear and much loved friend, Marianna Choldin, here @ 1020 Grove will be missed but long remembered in our hearts. My thoughts and prayers for peace and comfort in joyful and precious memories go to Harvey and their daughters and grandchildren and all extended family.
Most Sincerely,
Mary Hess

Mary Hess

In this time of mourning, we reflect on the life of a dearly departed soul who touched the lives of many. Marianna's kindness, compassion, and strength will continue to inspire us. May her soul find eternal peace and her memory forever be a blessing. We will miss our dear friend Marianna, she will always have a place in our hearts. Our thoughts are with Harvey, their daughters and grandchildren.
Most Sincerely,
Silke Sewing & Axel Adam with Laura Sewing

Silke Sewing

Our dear and beloved friend Mariannochka will always be in our hearts as there are tons of lovely memories we share. Starting from our great endeavors at the Perestroika Russia we developed not only great professional ties but also a deep and meaningful friendship. Russian librarians will always remember you devotedness to your work in Mortenson Center and beyond, your sincere interest in what was happening around you and your wisdom of accepting different points of view. We enjoyed your communication and humor and great taste you were ready to share with us always. Memory of you will stay in our hearts forever.
Our thoughts are with dear Harvey and with Marianna's beloved girls.

With million hugs,

Svetlana Gorokhova on behalf of numerous grateful Russian librarians


SVetlana Gorokhova

Mary and Kate ,
I am so sorry for your loss . Thinking of you and your families during the is difficult time .

Dana Price

All of your Champaign family are with you today and always. We loved our Marianna so very much. She will
be missed, but will live in our hearts forever. May God bless each of you.

Joyce and family

Joyce Bohrer

All colleagues from the LIbrary for Foreign Literature, who knew dear Marianna, send their sincere condolences!
We shall always remember her great friendship and bounless devotion to our profession!

Our thoughts with Her beloved Family!

With love,
Olga Tolstikova

Olga Tolstikova

Heartfelt condolences from one of the dozens of American Slavic librarians that Marianna mentored. Our libraries and our profession would not be the same without her. She was also a great friend.

Karen Rondestvedt

I was devastated to learn of Marianna's passing.
I got her email on the 27th suggesting to have our next regular FaceTime on the 3rd of July ..

When a best friend suddenly gone is a tragedy. But what would have been worse is never to have met her. She was a gift to everyone who ever met her. Marianna was a truly an extraordinary woman and was admired by everyone who knew her. She was an outstanding scholar and knowledgeable researcher of censorship in the USSR.
I am grateful to have been Marianna's colleague for decades and her friend.

I'll keep all her letters and books and I will remember her always.

Zhenya Rosinsskays

As a family member, I knew Marianna only on the "personal" side and not, like many others here, professionally (though we knew of some of Marianna's professional accomplishments and honors). When a spirit like Marianna leaves so suddenly, there's a tendency to come up with cliches to describe the loss: "she left us all too early"; "what a horrible void". All true, but meager. Others in this space have commented on Marianna's scholarship. Marianna's "scholarship", however, never got in the way of her humanity. By that I mean that to those of us in the family she was simply a wonderful soul with a big heart and a clear authenticity -- and she was a good listener. Years ago, my twin sister, Mimi, and I were so very excited when Marianna and Harvey welcomed into the world their wonderful twin daughters, Mary and Kate, exactly 20 years after we were born (just missing by a day). Cute cousins. I wish peace and comfort to Harvey, Mary and Kate and the Choldin clan as they remember the wondrous life of Marianna Tax Choldin.

Joel Werth

I am very sorry for your families loss. May the memories of your mother last forever in your hearts.

Anton Tichy

We are saddened to learn of Marianna's passing. Please accept our sincere condolences.
We have fond memories of time spent with Marianna and Harvey.

May her memory be a blessing.

Varda and Joel Goldman

Joel Goldman

Dearest Friend Harvey...Camille and I extend our sincere and emotional condolences to you and the family. We're with you in spirit. Cheers for now...

Ronald Tarrson

We all wish for a great adventure in life. It was my luck to be invited by Marianna Tax Choldin to participate in the the development of a new Center at the University of Illinois, the Mortenson Center for International programs. Our job was to develop a center that connected librarians around the world to promote international education, understanding, and peace. This was a grandiose vision, and it was up to Marianna, with my help, to implement activities and programs that would support this vision. Working with Marianna was a privilege and an education. She brought passion, intelligence and deep knowledge to our work, and helped me to develop skills I did not even know I possessed. But even more, we became great friends. I loved her ability to galvanize a room of librarians in Russia, Vietnam, Haiti, or in any of the countries where we worked. We shared many laughs, and a few tears, over the successes and the difficulties of our work, but we would always be ready for the next project. I had a marvelous adventure with a great lady who was an incredible academic and a generous mentor. I will forever be grateful that our paths crossed. My thoughts are with her beloved family during this difficult time.

Susan Schnuer

Dear Harvey and Family,
I mourn with you at this sad time. Harvey, you and Marianna have been gracious and most kind friends to me for nearly fifty years. Learning today that I shall not see Marianne again for a visit is a profound loss. Please accept my deep sympathy at this time of grief for all in her family. I have admired all of you for many years for your loving and wonderful devotion to each other.
As ever,
Michele

Michele Thompson

Mary & Kate,
My thoughts are with you and I'm so sorry for your loss. Your mother brought two amazing souls into the world and I know her legacy lives on in you.
Love,
Aviva

Aviva Kurash

Dear Harvey, daughters, family and friends of Marianna
My deepest sympathies for your loss. I met Marianna in 1997 at UIUC, attending a four month long training for trainers session at the Mortenson Center for International Library programs. I had missed her visit in Haiti a few months before but I was selected to be part of the first cohort of Haitian trainees. I still have fond memories (and mementos) of this time. Meeting Marianna and exchanging with her gave me the incentive to continue my career in the field of librarianship. She organized field trips, discussed about community involvement, collection development, association work but also broadened our perspective about access to education, knowledge and the respect of human dignity. She was always so interested in our growth as humans and as an organization with a community library program in Haiti. Her teaching and guidance helped to shape the training of 100+ library technicians in Haiti. I also remember discovering so many different cultures through food and dining, bonding over Pakistani or Russian cuisine, exchanging and laughing about our differences and similarities. A visit to her office was like taking a world tour just by looking at the exquisite art and crafts decorating it. And always at a prominent place was the black and white photo of her father, Mr. Tax, typing his dissertation. It was a striking photo and I remember visualizing it during the last weeks of finalizing mine, somehow conjuring the last burst of momentum. I came back a few years later to get my Masters degree in Library Science at UIUC and we still kept in touch. In 2003, my then 80+ grandmother traveled from Haiti to attend my graduation. We made a day trip to Chicago, Marianna and Harvey were such warm hosts and guided us to a glorious day filled with museum tour, architectural boat visit and great lunch. My grandmother had a wonderful time. While I am writing, many more memories come to mind, and I hear her voice, her laugh and I see her lovely hands poised. I wish her a peaceful passing, filled of light, culture and music.

Elizabeth Pierre-Louis

Rest in Peace, Marianna, I will always remember my work at Mortenson Centre in 2000-2002 with you and other great colleagues. You shared generously with everybody your deep knowledge, world-wide experience and sense of humor. Your lectures were always an intellectual treat and food for thought. You believed in me and helped sponsor my unforgettable trip to Glasgow, UK, for the annual IFLA conference. You have made a huge difference in my life and are forever in my heart!

Igor Krasnov

Jane and I were fortunate in my first academic job to have Marianna and Harvey as good friends and mentors. Later, we renewed that mentorship over the intenet when our Washington DC daughter also had twin daughters. I have always believed that much more in life results from good luck than we realize, and having friends like Marianna and Harvey reinforces that belief. You always wish you could have shared even more, but we are grateful for what we were able to manage.


Reeve Vanneman

Mary and Kate ,
I was sorry to learn of your mothers passing. Thinking of you and your families and sending love and hugs .

Dana Price

Rest in peace our dear Marianna. She was a great professional. The Mortenson Center had a great leader and give us the opportunity to participate in the trainig there. Many of us are better librarians because here. I will never forget her. She will be always in my heart. Love you Marianna Tax.

Lybny Mejía
Former Mortenson Center librarian

Lyɓny Mejía