Dr. Susanna Rabkina, MD, passed away on January 26, 2024. Beloved wife of the late David Komarovskiy. Loving mother of Vitaly (Natalya) Komarovsky and Ella (George Roberg) Komarovsky. Proud grandmother of Marina (Fernando Martin) Komarovsky, Inna (Pratik Rana) Komarovsky-Rana, Michael (Hazel Herr) Komarovsky, Aleksandr Roberg, and Regina (Mark Wilkening) Roberg. Cherished great-grandmother of Dominic, Emilio, and Aadi. Dear sister of the late Abram (the late Agnia) Rabkin and dear aunt of Vladimir Rabkin and Boris Belyi. Funeral service Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 12 Noon at Sunset Memorial Lawns Cemetery Chapel, 3100 Shermer Road, Northbrook.

Susanna was born in 1929 in Slutsk, Belarus to Moisei Rabkin and Revekka Rabkin (Zuchovitskaya). Her happy childhood in the predominantly Jewish part of Slutsk was suddenly disrupted by the Nazi invasion in 1941. Her family had to flee from the German army, and they survived, owing to the bravery and persistence of Susanna’s mother, who led her family out of danger. Most of the Slutsk Jewish population had perished in the ghetto. Susanna’s family eventually found refuge in the town of Sterlitamak, Bashkiria. She resumed her education in Bashkiria as a small 12-year old provincial girl, where students initially made fun of her distinct Belarussian accent. Despite her circumstances and the hardships of war, she proved herself to be a very determined and sharp student. She made many friends and was in touch with them for more than seventy years.

Susanna graduated from high school with Gold Medal Honors and enrolled in Kiev Medical School in Ukraine. During her medical school years, and later as a young doctor, she found that medicine was her true calling. She was both intellectually curious about the puzzles presented by the human body and eager to dedicate all her time and energy to helping patients. Susanna was a devoted pediatrician for 42 years. Often the first to be consulted for the most complex cases, she saved the lives of countless children from serious infectious diseases and mentored several generations of young physicians, always doing so with compassion and enthusiasm. At the same time, she was raising her own children in Magnitogorsk, a loving and energetic mother. 

In 1994 Susanna immigrated to the U.S. with her family, where she fully embraced her role as a grandmother, now helping raise her five grandchildren with her late husband David, while supporting her children in establishing their professional careers in the U.S. Even as a busy grandmother, she was eager to learn and expand her skills, dedicating time to learning English, trying out new recipes from different cuisines, staying up-to-date on politics, growing a garden, and being physically active. Susanna was very friendly and easily connected with people, always open to talking in Russian, English, or Yiddish, whether she was waiting for the bus, in her community garden, or during her walks around Peterson Park. She cared deeply about her family and friends, and was always willing to offer a listening ear and advice. Susanna and her husband David spent 67 loving years together, and she did everything she could to take care of him when he became ill. During her last year of life, despite health challenges, she enthusiastically continued to cook and bake for the holidays and whenever loved ones visited her. She was the most amazing matriarch of her family, bringing so much joy, light, and optimism to everyone who was lucky to know her. Arrangements by Ner Tamid Funerals, 847-504-7736 or www.NerTamidFunerals.com