[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 139 (Friday, September 8, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1747-E1748]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        TRIBUTE TO ELENA BASKIN

                                 ______


                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 8, 1995
  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Elena Baskin, a 
wonderful woman, a prominent philanthropist, and a dear friend and 
constituent of mine who passed away Monday morning. Her humble 
beginnings in Kishinev, Romania, where she was poor and often went 
hungry, ingrained in her the desire to share her good fortune with 
others. Mrs. Baskin and her husband Jack Baskin have played a prominent 
role in the organization and funding of services for the elderly, the 
poor, women, children, education, and the arts. Her acts of kindness 
and giving will live on in the community and in the hearts of all who 
knew her.
  Born Elena Djatschenko on December 1, 1925, she lived without 
plumbing or electricity. Mrs. Baskin's parents were Russian and her 
father worked as a typesetter. The family moved to Chernovitz, now part 
of Ukraine, in 1935, where they resided until the outbreak of war in 
the region. They fled to Germany where Mrs. Baskin worked as a 
secretary with the U.S. Army in Berlin. In 1948, she immigrated to the 
United States and began work at Stanford University in the Hoover 
Library. Elena subsequently married Paul Baran and had a son, Nicholas.
  She graduated from Stanford in 1960 with a master's degree and taught 
Russian at Gunn High School in Palo Alto when she met Jack Baskin. They 
were married in 1976. Mr. Baskin became a successful developer, and Mr. 
and Mrs. Baskin went on to share their good fortune with others.
  Mr. Baskin has said that perhaps his wife's proudest accomplishment 
was the founding of the Live Oak Senior Center in Santa Cruz. The 
center opened in 1977 and serves about 

[[Page E 1748]]
1,000 meals a day. She was also instrumental in establishing the 
Battered Women's Assistance Program, the Mondanaro-Baskin Center for 
Women and Children, the Schools Plus public schools matching-funds 
program and the Cabrillo College of Child Care Center. The Baskin name 
can be found on numerous buildings, endowments, programs, and 
contributions throughout the region.
  For many years Mrs. Baskin served on the Santa Cruz County Seniors 
Commission and contributed to Stanford University and U.C. Santa Cruz, 
where a computer engineering center and student art studios proudly 
carry the Baskin name. Mr. and Mrs. Baskin were named Santa Cruz 
Chamber of Commerce Woman and Man of the Year in 1986. Mrs. Baskin 
remained active in her later years. Enthralled by ballroom dancing and 
ice skating, she also continued to skate and ice dance several times a 
week.
  Mrs. Baskin was diagnosed with cancer just 3\1/2\ weeks before she 
passed away. She chose to refuse treatment, wishing quality time with 
her family, rather than quantity. She is survived by her husband, Jack 
Baskin of Santa Cruz; her mother, Valentina Djatschenko of Santa Cruz; 
her son, Nicholas Baran of Sandpoint, ID; two stepdaughters, Elaine 
Baskin of Palo Alto and Marianne Gabriel of Watsonville; two 
grandchildren; and four step grandchildren. While Mrs. Elena Baskin 
will be greatly missed by those who knew her, her acts will continue to 
be an inspiration to us all.


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