Issaak Simonovich Rokhlin, son of Anna Issaakovna and Simon Markovich Rokhlin, was born in Leningrad, USSR, on July 4, 1932.

His life could have been cut short very early by World War II and the Holocaust. In the summer of 1941, while visiting family in Belorussia, he and his mother Anna heard the news of the German invasion. Anna quickly fled from the advancing front lines and later escaped from soon-to-be-besieged Leningrad, saving Issaak’s life twice in the first weeks of the war. His father Simon was drafted in 1941 and perished shortly afterward. Raised by his mother Anna, Issaak lived through the war years in the Perm Region.

Isaak returned to post-war Leningrad where he lived until his immigration to Canada. In 1956, Issaak graduated from the Leningrad Electrotechnical Institute, where he flowered as a young man and professional. He worked at the Research Institute of Radio Electronics as a leading specialist in the development of radio-navigation equipment. Issaak excelled in his projects: his inventions and scientific developments continue to be employed on airplanes operating to this day. He was admired and loved by coworkers both as a specialist and as an individual.

At work, Issaak met his wife Kima. They married in 1959. With love and kindness, he devoted himself to family—his wife and their daughter Ina. Later in life, Issaak was equally dedicated to his grandchildren, Ilya and Gabriel.
Issaak enjoyed sports into his eighties. He was a Candidate Master of Sports in pistol shooting and excelled in hockey, swimming, and skiing. Throughout his life, Issaak was a sensitive connoisseur of art, music, and cinema: passions he passed on to his grandchildren.

Issaak’s kind and attentive nature blessed his family and extended well beyond it. He treated all people with respect and empathy, always willing to help anyone who approached him. His exceptionally fine spirit uplifted everyone around him. Relatives, friends, and all people he met were drawn to his kindness.

In his last years, his fine character continued to shine through his dimming physical condition. Issaak Simonovich Rokhlin passed away on April 16, 2024, at the age of 92 in Toronto. Issaak will be greatly missed by his wife Kima, daughter Ina, son-in-law Leonid, grandchildren Ilya and Gabriel, and by all who knew him.