Tatjana W. “Tati” VanBeckhoven Blakeslee

Some people leave behind possessions. Others leave behind traditions. Tatjana W. “Tati” VanBeckhoven Blakeslee left behind a way of seeing the world.

If you knew Tatjana, you knew one thing for certain—you always knew she was in the room. She embraced life with enthusiasm, courage, and a wonderful sense of adventure. Fear rarely dictated her choices. She welcomed people with open arms, loved preparing meals that gathered family and friends around her table, and delighted in hosting celebrations where laughter flowed as freely as the conversation. She possessed an infectious curiosity about the world and an ability to make everyday moments feel memorable.

Born on June 3, 1941, in Tilburg, Holland, Tatjana was the youngest of four children. Although her life began in the Netherlands, America became the place where she built the life she loved and where her dreams truly took root.

As a young girl, her mother often sent her outside to play. Somewhere during those quiet hours—and just before leaving the Netherlands—Tatjana experienced what she would later describe as a moment when the gift of art simply “sprinkled over” her. It was not something she consciously sought; it was something that found her.

When she arrived in America as a young woman, that spark became her life’s passion. She immersed herself in learning, studying, and creating, following wherever her imagination would lead. She often said that art gave her purpose, and she devoted herself to it with joy and determination.

Though she eventually explored nearly every artistic medium, her first love was charcoal. Armed with little more than a charcoal pencil and a kneaded eraser, she discovered one of art’s greatest lessons: sometimes light is created not by adding more, but by gently taking away. From those earliest drawings grew a lifetime of paintings, sculptures, mixed media, and countless other creations. The remarkable body of artwork she leaves behind is more than a collection—it is a window into the way she saw the world: vibrant, imaginative, hopeful, and full of possibility. Her art remains one of her greatest gifts to all who knew and loved her.

Tatjana married C. Stewart Goddin, and together they welcomed their beloved twin daughters, Nichole and Tanya. They shared the adventure of raising a family, traveling, and building a life together. Though life’s journey eventually carried them in different directions, they remained forever connected through the daughters they cherished.

Later in life, in a twist she never could have imagined, Tatjana found love again through online dating when she met and married Ralph David Blakeslee. Together they shared a spirited, passionate relationship filled with laughter, adventure, unwavering devotion, and enough spirited debates to keep life interesting. Their love was never quiet—it was full of personality, humor, and the kind of sass that attracted them to one another from the very beginning. They truly argued with enthusiasm, and somehow that same fire only deepened the love they shared.

Through David, she became the beloved “Tati” to the Blakeslee family, whose love embraced her as one of their own. Beloved Jonathan and Marianne became not only family but treasured friends whose extraordinary compassion, kindness, and devoted care brought comfort, dignity, and joy during the final chapter of her life. Her family will forever be grateful for the love they shared with her.

Tati passed away peacefully on June 13, 2026, with her daughter Nichole by her side.

She leaves behind her loving daughter, Nichole Knott, and her husband, Daniel; her beloved grandchildren, Jax and Danni, whose love of nature, animals, and artistic spirit reflect so much of their Oma’s influence; her beloved grandson, Brandon Goddin, son of Tanya Tatiana Goddin, with whom she shared many cherished memories throughout his childhood.

She also leaves behind her cherished Blakeslee family: beloved Jonathan and Marianne Blakeslee, Paul Blakeslee (Wanda), Eric Blakeslee (Suzy), Carolyn Prober, and the family of her late stepdaughter, Ellen Wright (Jonathan), along with several step-grandchildren and one step-great-granddaughter. She also leaves behind countless friends whose lives were brighter because they knew her, and a family forever shaped by her love.

Our family is profoundly grateful to the staff of Seasons Assisted Living in Lewisburg, West Virginia, who cared for Mom with extraordinary kindness, dignity, patience, and compassion. One of the greatest gifts they gave her was allowing her to remain as close to home as possible while keeping her beloved cats, Boris and Yeltsin by her side until the very end. Their companionship brought her immeasurable comfort. Today, Boris and Yeltsin are lovingly cared for by Jonathan and Marianne.

We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the hospice team, whose gentleness, patience, and unwavering compassion surrounded both Mom and our family during her final days. Your kindness will remain with us always.

Just eight days after Tati’s passing, our family experienced another unimaginable loss when her beloved daughter, Tanya, passed away. The sorrow of losing them both so close together is difficult to put into words, and their absence is felt every day.

Still, we find ourselves returning to one comforting thought: that somewhere beyond our sight, a mother was waiting with open arms for her daughter. Tati, free from the burdens of illness. Tanya, free from the struggles of addiction. Together again, reunited in peace, understanding, and love.

Tati’s greatest legacy is not found in the places she lived or the titles she held, but in the lives she shaped. She taught those she loved to notice beauty, to remain curious, to care deeply for animals, to welcome others generously, and to never stop creating. Her influence lives on in every flower admired, every meal shared around a crowded table, every courageous adventure embraced, every work of art inspired by her example, and every moment someone chooses to slow down and truly notice the world around them.

She lived wholeheartedly, loved wholeheartedly, created wholeheartedly, and left this world far more beautiful than she found it.

Tatjana was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Ralph David Blakeslee; her parents, Henricus VanBeckhoven and Johanna Helena Van Dongen; and her siblings, M. VanBeckhoven, A. VanBeckhoven, and J. VanBeckhoven.

A private family gathering will be held to celebrate Tati’s beautiful life and to remember Tanya Tatiana Goddin with love—a beloved daughter, devoted mother, and cherished twin sister.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to honor the memories of both Tati and Tanya by adopting a cat, supporting a local animal rescue, or simply helping an animal in need. There could be no more fitting tribute to two hearts that always had room for another furry friend.

You both will live forever in our hearts. We love you, and we will miss you always.