Galina Astashkina

Galina Astashkina, a deeply beloved mom, grandmother, wife, and friend, passed away on Friday, May 16, 2025, at the Capital Health Medical Center in Hopewell, NJ, after a nearly 2-year battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 72.

Galina was born in Moscow, Russia, and immigrated to the United States with her husband Anatoliy and their son Denis in 1993. Originally a musician in Russia, Galina was incredibly outgoing, loved to be around people, and loved to laugh. In the United States, Galina found her professional calling as a department store sales associate and worked at Lord & Taylor in Quakerbridge Mall in Lawrenceville, NJ, for 20 years. Impeccable taste for fashion, great eye for detail and color combinations, and warm, caring personality earned Galina a dedicated following of multi-generational clientele at the store.

Galina’s true legacy is her family. First and foremost, she was an incredible mom. She was feminine, gentle, loving, and nurturing as the bedrock of moral support, yet firm and uncompromising when it came to values and work ethic. She pushed us to dream big and reach for the stars. She was incredibly proud when her son Denis was accepted to California Institute of Technology for undergraduate study and even prouder when Denis earned his PhD in chemical engineering from Princeton University. Naturally, Galina took every opportunity to weave this into her conversations. When her grandson Alexander was born in 2020, Galina found new happiness and passion as a deeply involved grandmother.

Galina had an incredible thirst for life and laughter. When she was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in August 2023, Galina was determined to wrestle every possible day away from the disease, driven by the desire to see her grandson grow up. She fought valiantly, inspiring many, including the medical professionals who treated her. Seeing her grandson turn 5 was one of her biggest rewards.

Galina’s departure left an enormous hole in our hearts. Her bubbly personality and strong presence were larger than life. Yet, we take comfort in the end to the suffering, and in her reunification with her dearly departed parents, Ivan and Ekaterina.

Galina is survived by her husband Anatoliy, her son Denis, her daughter-in-law Jess, and her grandson Alexander.

Graveside service for Galina is scheduled for 2:00 PM on Monday, May 19, 2025, at Princeton Cemetery, 29 Greenview Ave, Princeton, NJ 08540.

In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to St. Jude Childrens’ Research Hospital (www.stjude.org/donate).