Valentina Nikolaevna Mats

Valentina Nikolaevna Mats, age 75 of Mount Pleasant, MI (previously of Moscow, Russia and Kharkov, Ukraine); passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 16, 2015. Valentina was born on June 7, 1940, the daughter of late Nikolay Mats and Lidia Ladanchuk. Valentina spent her early childhood in soviet arctic naval base at Barents Sea, where her father was a commander at the soviet destroyer Gremyashy that defended Allied World War II convoys in the Arctic Ocean from Nazis. Her mother was housewife. Valentina graduated with honors from the Biology Department at the Moscow State University, and later completed her PhD at the Research Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology in Moscow. She worked as a researcher for more than 40 years and wrote more than 100 research papers. Preceding her in death were her parents and husband Ivan Ustinov who was a Professor of the Moscow Aviation University. Last 4 years of her life Valentina lived in Mount Pleasant, MI in the house of her daughter Ksenia and son-in-law Oleg. She enjoyed gardening, reading, knitting, and listening radio. Valentina is survived by her daughter Ksenia Ustinova of Mount Pleasant, and grandchildren Polina and Andrey.