Dr. Lilija Ziverts was born on December 26, 1919. She spent her younger years in Riga, Latvia, and fled Latvia with her mother at the time of Soviet occupation after World War 2. Despite all of the difficulties her family encountered in post-war Germany as refugees from Communism, Lilija graduated from the University of Heidelberg medical school and subsequently emigrated to the U.S. in the late 1940s. While working various jobs to make ends meet, she studied for her U.S. medical licensing exams and secured a medical internship in Queens, New York, and subsequently completed a residency in anesthesiology. She worked for the Manhattan Veterans Administration hospital for 35 years and was the chief of the anesthesiology section for many years. She was also an assistant professor at New York University School of Medicine, and trained many residents. Dr. Ziverts loved her work and was proud to serve U.S. veterans. She lived in Queens, New York, and in her free time, she enjoyed reading non-fiction, listening to the opera, and keeping up on US and world politics. She passed away on October 22, 2020, in Woodbridge, CT, surrounded by family. She will be greatly missed by many.