The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Katia Anne-Marie Sodbinow passed away peacefully at home on April 21, surrounded by her loving family. She was 79 years old.
Born Katia Anne-Marie Polchinoff on January 25, 1947, in Créteil, a southeastern suburb of Paris, France, she was the only child of Zebeck “Chopa” Polchinoff and Sonia Polchinoff. Katia enjoyed a rich and joyful childhood in France, embraced by a large extended family and sharing a particularly close bond with her two devoted grandfathers.
She attended the secretarial school Cours Asselineau in Créteil and began her career working in a travel agency. In 1968, Katia immigrated to the United States with her parents, initially settling with her aunt in Freewood Acres. Longing for the vibrant energy of city life she had known in Paris, she soon moved with her family to New York City. There, she was employed by the French bank Société Générale.
Katia shared a loving marriage of 55 years with her husband, Vladimir. Together, they built a life first in Jamaica, Queens, and later settled in Franklin Township in 1973, where they raised their four children. Their home was filled with love, warmth, laughter, and lasting memories. For 30 years, Katia worked for the Franklin Township Board of Education, where she formed lifelong friendships with colleagues and neighbors alike, especially within her close-knit cul-de-sac community.
In retirement, she and her husband delighted in traveling together, returning often to Europe and enjoying many relaxing Caribbean getaways. Above all else, Katia was deeply devoted to her family. She was immensely proud of her children and found her greatest joy in her ten cherished grandchildren.
Katia was predeceased by her father, Zebeck “Chopa” Polchinoff, and her mother, Sonia Sophie Polchinoff.
She is survived by her beloved husband, Vladimir Sodbinow; her daughter Nina (Byron) Echeverria; her son Alexander (Gia) Sodbinow; her daughter Tania (Brian) Kelly, and her son Scott (Natalia) Sodbinow. She also leaves behind her ten grandchildren: Andrew, Olivia, and Pilar Echeverria; Matthew, Sophia, and Nicola Sodbinow; Harper and Bronwyn Kelly, and Alice and Adelina Sodbinow.
Katia will be remembered for her warmth, her devotion to family, her enduring friendships, and her love of life’s simple pleasures. She leaves behind a legacy of love that will continue to live on in all who knew her.
Visitation will be from 9-11 a.m. April 29 at the Gleason Funeral Home, 1360 Hamilton St., Somerset.
The funeral service will be from 11:30 a.m. to noon April 29 at the funeral home, followed by burial at 1:30 p.m. at Saint Vladimir Cemetery, 316 Cassville Road, Jackson.
