Anatoly “Zero” Sirofinsky 1957–2025

Zero was born in 1975 and died in 2025.  His Leaf will be placed at Ballard Library on September 13, 2026.

Here are reflections from Zero’s community:

“He was a gentle giant among us, but when he roared, people listened.  He was a regular guest and volunteer at Edible Hope Kitchen and attended Sunday services at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.  His wife and some of his children are also unhoused, and they lived for a time in their van.  Zero was a man of the world and spoke seven languages fluently.  He had been a soldier in the Soviet Union Army and lost 26 comrades in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster.  He came to the US after the Soviet Union broke up. He had heart problems that were untreated because of his fear of going into greater debt to the medical system. He had a stroke as he stepped out of his van one Saturday and died immediately.”

From his friend, Carol:  “His passing will not be soon forgotten.  He left huge steps during his path through life.  He is now with his 26 friends he grieved that morning at Edible Hope, and many other friends.  His spirit can go anywhere – perhaps to Ukraine – the Ukraine of his youth and adulthood and with those he loved and would miss when he departed the Mother Country of his birth for the United States.   Rest in peace Zero.  Your rest is our loss.  Thank you, Zero, for your benevolence and kindness.  Rest in peace, my dear friend.  Rest in peace.”

If you have memories or photos of Zero, please leave a comment below.