General Information
Full Name: Arkadiy Smolyak
Date of Death: Wednesday, May 14, 2025
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Arkadiy Smolyak on May 14, at the age of 85. Arkadiy was a strong and caring personality in his family, and we will miss him dearly.
Arkadiy began his life on April 23, 1940, in Chausy, Belarus, the former Soviet Union. When he was still a baby, he experienced the German Nazi invasion, was miraculously saved by his parents Khasya Prigozhina and Moissey Smolyak who fled to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, with him and his elder sister Esther. Unfortunately, she died of typhus on the train. Arkadiy spent a hungry, but quiet and content childhood in Central Asia with his parents. Arkadiy first moved to Moscow after the war with his family to study and dreamed about airplanes. Later on, his dream became a career in aviation engineering.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he emigrated to the USA in 1993 and went to college to pursue a new career in HVAC, even though he was 53 at that time. After graduating, he successfully worked as a mechanic for the city of New York until his retirement, receiving awards and honors for the outstanding service. His colleagues always remembered him as a model hardworking and strong person physically and emotionally all these years.
Arkadiy is survived by his son, Eugene, his wife Maya, and his grandkids, David and Julia. He was preceded in death by his wife, Nadezhda (Nadia) Smolyak.
A public memorial for Arkadiy will be held at the Louis Suburban Chapel, on May 16, at 12:15 p.m., with the service starting at 1:00 p.m. – followed by the burial ceremony at the Cedar Park Cemetery in Paramus, NJ.
In honor of his generous spirit, the family asks that donations be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation at parkinson.org.
Service Information
Friday, May 16, 2025
1:00 PM
Service At:
Louis Suburban Chapel
13-01 Broadway, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
Burial To Follow At:
Cedar Park Cemetery
735 Forest Ave, Paramus, NJ 07652
Akadiy loved his grandchildren with a great heart. He dedicated his time during their growth and particularly focused on making sure David and Julia did well with math. When Arkadiy attended family gatherings, he partook in developing conversations of the present life and events. He had humor and care for the people around him and thus will be missed.