Found this on facebook!?
"RIP WGM Elena Donaldson-Akhmilovskaya!
I just heard the sad news. Elena was a close friend of BC Chess players and of course many more all over the world. She was a wonderful person. Our thoughts go to Georgi, Nicholas and Donna! "
Appears it is true. Just found this posting in Facebook
Georgi Orlov Posting
Dear friends, parents, colleagues. My dear wife Elena passed away today after a long battle with cancer. Our little family is mourning the loss.
KWRegan said…
My condolences also; she was basically my age. Here is a Google Translate of a story in Russian that is linked from her Wikipedia page:
November 18, after a long and serious illness died Grandmaster, Honored Master of Sports of the USSR Yelena Ahmylovskaya. Elena Bronislavovna [her middle name---KWR]was one of the strongest chess players in the world in the last quarter century, it is - the champion of Russia (1980), winner of many major international tournaments, the Olympic champion in the USSR team, winner of the USSR Cup in the team "Thunderbird." After the Olympics, in 1988 she married the American team captain John Donaldson and moved to the United States.
Elena Ahmylovskaya for years fought for the title of world's strongest chess players participated in the matches contestants. In 1986 he played a world championship match, but lost to the current champion Maya Chiburdanidze.
Russian Chess Federation expresses condolences to the family of Yelena Bronislavovna.