Desanka Vasilievna Zabavsky, 91, of Lake Meade, PA passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her loving children on July 22, 2026.
Born in 1934 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (Serbia), she came to the United States on her own as a 17 year old, spending time in Springfield, MA and later in New York City, where she met her husband, Anatoly, who passed away in 2019 after 60+ years of marriage. Desi and her husband lived in Potomac, MD, where they built a thriving Russian-import business, and where they raised their three children.
After retirement, they moved to their house on Lake Meade in East Berlin, PA., where Desi loved cooking, entertaining and gardening.
She is survived by her daughter Natalie VanGorder (husband Rick), her sons Andrew and Victor (wife Valerie and children Katrina, Gabrielle, and Max), as well as many other extended family members.

Friends and family are invited to pay their respects on Monday evening July 27th at 6:00pm at St. Mary’s Russian Orthodox Church 316 Cassville Rd. Jackson, NJ, on the grounds of St. Vladimir’s Russian Orthodox Cemetery, located at 316 Cassville Rd., Jackson, NJ 08527. Funeral mass will be held at 11:00am on Tuesday morning, July 28th, at the same location, with burial following thereafter.

Arrangements are under the direction of Mastapeter Memorial Home, 270 Atlantic City Blvd., Bayville, NJ.