Obituary of Lidschima Urubshurow

Lidschima “Lee” Urubshurow, 79, of Yardley, PA, passed on peacefully from this world on Friday, May 15, 2026, at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Langhorne, PA. She was born in Pfaffenhofen, Germany, and came to the United States in 1951, beginning a life that would prove to be as rich, resilient, and full of warmth as anyone who had the privilege of knowing her could attest. Lee grew up in Philadelphia, raised her beloved children in Jackson, NJ, lived for a time in Princeton, and finally settled in Yardley, PA in 2011 — each chapter of her journey having left behind people who were better for having known her.

Lee was a woman who never stopped moving forward. As a young single mother, she met life’s demands with extraordinary grit and resourcefulness, doing whatever it took to care for her family. She worked in a clock factory and a ceramics factory, pursued her real estate license, found her footing in a bakery, and — in the early, electric days of Atlantic City — trained as a blackjack dealer and worked at Caesars. Each path she walked was an act of love for her children. Eventually, she turned her tireless mind toward computers, became a “Kelly girl,” and discovered the vocation that would define her professional life: software engineering. She joined Bell Labs and later AT&T in Holmdel and Lincroft, building a distinguished career in a field where few women had yet ventured, and retiring with well-earned pride in 2013.

But Lee’s greatest work was never done at a desk. She was a matriarch — of her family, and of something far larger.

Lee stood as one of the pillars of the Kalmyk community stretching from Howell to Philadelphia, a faithful and devoted member of the Nitsan Temple. Her love for her cultural heritage ran deep and true, and she poured it generously into the lives of those around her. She was instrumental in founding the Kalmyk American Cultural Association, which flourished under her care — hosting beloved annual Kalmyk Day celebrations, organizing day trips and ski outings, nurturing the young Kalmyk dance troupe with trips to California and appearances at folk festivals, and working tirelessly with a dedicated committee to honor the 50th anniversary of the Kalmyk people’s arrival in the United States. Yet perhaps her most extraordinary contribution came in 1990, when she helped to spearhead a historic journey: a community trip to the Kalmyk homeland for the very first time. To bring her people back to where they had come from, even just for a moment, was a gift she gave with her whole heart.

In whatever time remained after a life so fully lived, Lee found deep peace in cooking at home, traveling with family, trips to the casino with good friends, good music, and dancing. She was a friend to everyone she met, a surrogate mother to so many, and a cherished “Tata” (aunt) to those lucky enough to call her that. But the title she held most dear, the one that lit her from within, was Edje, grandmother. Her grandchildren were her “babies,” and loving them was, without question, the greatest joy of her life.

Lee was predeceased by her beloved sister, Nadia Ubushin; her brothers, Sam Saran and George Unkunow; two nephews, Chimd Ubushin and Badrhn Ubushin; and her grandniece, Naya Ubushin. She is survived and deeply missed by her daughter, Lara Gema Mukabenov of Yardley, PA; her sons, Peter Jermid Urubshurow of Yardley, PA, and Jamal Rashi Urubshurow of Philadelphia, PA; her two grandchildren, Zackary and Altana Mukabenov; her nieces Lyuba Ubushin of Newtown, PA and Naya Ubushin of Toms River, PA and her grandnieces, Kemma and Kira; Brother-in-law Jalsa Urubshurow, Sister-in-law Margurite “Ketty” Ombadykow Brunner and their families; and a wide and loving circle of relatives, extended family, and friends — many of whom she made feel, simply by being near her, like they had a home.

Visitation will be held at the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, 100 Elton-Adelphia Road (Route 524), Freehold Township, on Thursday, May 21, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon, with a funeral service to follow at Noon. Interment will follow at St. Vladimir’s R.O. Cemetery, 316 Cassville Road, Jackson.

Those who wish to honor Lee’s memory may make a contribution in her name to the Children’s Tumor Foundation, Mail Code 6895, P.O. Box 7247, Philadelphia, PA 19170-0001 or HERE.

For information, directions, or to leave a condolence message for the family, please visit www.claytonfuneralhome.com.