I am sorry to inform you that my friend and colleague Vadim Khazin, an ATA member and former EN-RU and EN-UA grader, passed away June 25, 2025.
Vadim was born April 1, 1937, in Kyiv. (Vadim and I were classmates; we had been friends since 1947).
He immigrated to the U.S. in 1992, and became an ATA member the following year. Vadim was instrumental in creating the English into Ukrainian Certification, and was the first EN-UA Language Chair. He also made presentations at ATA conferences. Colleagues remember him as erudite, witty, never mean-spirited, always pleasant to be with.
Those who attended SLD Dinners at ATA conferences remember the humorous bouts-rimes Vadim was writing while we had been eating and drinking. Each of us suggested two rhyming words – in English, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish or Spanish, and in a few minutes, Vadim was creating a poem that actually made sense!
Vadim will be sorely missed.
Boris Silversteyn,
SLD Leadership Council
As a tribute to Vadim, Larry Bogoslaw has proposed composing a final bout-rimé in his honor. You are invited to contribute rhyming pairs of words, which will then be made into a poem about our dear colleague. Please offer your suggestions in response to this post on the SLD’s Google Group, and we welcome your collaboration in writing the poem.
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