DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla.—It wasn’t always business as usual at the 92^nd annual ARS Convention.

Talin Daghlian ponders the next chapter in her already-active ARS life. (Tom Vartabedian photo)

News of a death in the community sent a shockwave through the delegation of 41 members and executive mainstays who had convened that morning.

Talin Daghlian, a 33-year member of the organization and prominent leader, had lost her father.

With her hands buried in her face, she rose to acknowledge the gesture.

Thomas Nakashian was 86 and enjoyed the beauty of 7 children, 16 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren while living in New York. He was employed as a chauffeur and worked diligently to ensure the higher education of his family. Nakashian was also a Gomideh member in Syria and belonged to the Homenetmen and Soorp Sarkis Church.

His wife Zabel had been a 50-year member of the ARS before passing just short of their 60^th wedding anniversary.

“After losing my mother, he had some heart issues,” Daghlian revealed. “A woman from Armenia was caring for him, along with a daughter.”

Distraught and visibly shaken, Daghlian held her post as a special guest and carried out her responsibilities dutifully, knowing the situation was in good hands back home with her family. An immediate flight home might have also been a rigmarole.

“My dad would have wanted me to remain,” Daghlian said. “He was very proud of my ARS work and always encouraged me to continue working for this fine organization. If I had left the convention, I feel as if I would have let him down.”

The solace and comfort she received from her ARS sisters, and her focus on the work ahead, was just the right panacea for the woman to combat her grief.

But it was déjà vu for Daghlian. She recalled the past with deep sentiment.

“When I was ill with breast cancer in 2005, my ARS sisters were there for me,” she said. “They sent me cards, made telephone calls, and sent messages of support. I’d get 100 e-mails a day. It was shocking, yet stimulating. And, once again, they came to my side in this moment of distress. The gratitude I share cannot be measured.”

Daghlian resides in Old Tappan, N.J., and is a member of the “Agnouni” Chapter. She served as chairwoman and treasurer, attending this conclave as a guest of the Regional Board, taking a seat next to Agnouni Award winner Muriel Parseghian from Lowell, Mass.

She and husband Zohrab have three daughters, all AYF pedigrees. The two have been married 40 years.

Talin Daghlian is a graduate of the American University in Beirut with a nursing degree, which she used before becoming a full-time mom. After arriving here from Syria in 1972, she became involved with the Armenian community and served as co-director of the Sunday School at St. Vartanantz Church.

Among her pet projects was—and still is—the ACAA raffle.

“I was with my father just before I left for the convention,” Daghlian said wistfully. “He was happy I was attending. My husband broke the news to me on my cell and I shared it with my ungerouhis. I was angry and disappointed I couldn’t be home. On the other hand, my father’s pride at me being here would have been diminished. We had three delegates from our chapter and I didn’t want to let them down, either.”

Daghlian remained at her seat throughout Saturday and took a flight home Sunday, just before the convention adjourned. Over that time, she was vocal and embodied the true spirit of her organization as if the weight had suddenly been lifted from her shoulders.

“It’s very comforting to be surrounded by your ungerouhis in a moment of sadness,” she admitted. “It was the place to be at a time like this.”

Daghlian described her dad as a very religious man who regularly attended events in New York and New Jersey.

“He’s someone who went the extra mile to serve his church and community,” said Daghlian.

Those close to the scene say Talin Daghlian has been an exemplary member of the ARS who has never shunned an opportunity to enhance the organization. She helped inspire such projects as Walk Armenia and the auction.

“Without the ARS, my life would be empty,” she confessed. “Hopefully, I’ve been able to give something back with my service. When I see all the assistance we’re rendering throughout the world with our many projects, it gives us every reason to continue. I’ll always do my best to help.”

Mal Varadian wearing that perpetual smile.

Do legends really die?

Not really! Not as long as people hold onto them and cherish the values they left behind. Not as long as we remember them for the good they left and the legacy they carved in everyday life.

Melkon “Mal” Varadian died a happy man, the way most of us would have crafted our demise. The morning of his death, he was at Camp Haiastan doing what he enjoyed best—making sure the church picnic was readied with its food and supplies for the day.

His 88 years afforded experience and ingenuity to the working crew. He had often told others, “If I die tomorrow, I will die with a smile on my face.”

Any time there was a Providence picnic, there was Mal tied to an apron, working behind the scenes and holding court over his beloved. He never acted his age.

While attending the Prelacy dinner this year in Providence, Mal sat at a table with his cohorts. The octogenarian in him seemed to diminish in age as he greeted the younger callers at his table.

If predictions are in order, the Providence AYF will have all the octane it needs in its tank this summer to win an Olympics title in Boston. And the “Varantians” will dedicate their moment to the guy who never failed to send them off with a pep talk or two. He was their modern-day General Nejdeh.

Mal always made it a point to motivate the kids, whether they were running a 400 or taking their first steps at Camp Haiastan. He showed up in Franklin with the likes of Harry Kushigian and Mesrop Odian, telling the young campers everything they wanted to hear in just the right way.

They were living proof of what the camp did for them and hoped the feeling was mutual. “Make the most of your camping experience,” he would say. “And some day you’ll be repaid.”

At an Olympics field, he would gather his clan and preach to them the almighty words of sportsmanship and effort. No one was a better role model than Varadian.

Together with his late brothers Jay, Varad, and Haig, they set the standard for success. One picture of the four brothers locking hands in an Olympic Ad Book reminded you of a relay quartet that was impregnable.

And you also had sister Maro (Varadian) Kachadoorian who was no slouch when it came to her own merit. Or his three children, Michael and his wife Armenie; Sandra Megerdichian and her husband Megerdich; and Malcolm and his wife Kristen.

Nothing pleased Mal more than watching his family develop into vital cogs of the Armenian community. Whether they lived in Providence or not, they still wore green and were considered “Varantians.” Seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren were the extra stars in Mal’s proverbial galaxy.

Varadian disliked fanfare. He shed any limelight and felt more comfortable in the back row of an audience. This past April, the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Rhode Island wanted to honor him at the annual flag-raising in his home city of Cranston. But he declined.

“Thanks, but no thanks,” he said. “Others deserve the recognition more than me.”

Truth be told, Mal Varadian wouldn’t have recognized his own ego if the two of them met on a side street. He was that humble.

A legend only dies when those who become endeared to him suddenly let go.

“He had a personality that was both charming and true to the receiver,” says his close friend Peter Boranian. “He never sought compliments but always offered them to others. Leave it to Mal for not leaving his post until the job was done as leader of the kitchen brigade.”

After serving with the Army in World War II, Mal and his late wife Zabel operated Public Street Market in South Providence, a community they served for over 40 years. It was here that many of the city’s elite gathered to render news of the day and mollify the world’s ills. Others would come to seek out sound advice from a sage.

Mal participated in the construction of Camp Haiastan and served the Board of Trustees at Sts. Vartanantz Church, where he was also an NRA delegate. He was an Olympic King and National Honorary Member of the AYF, a catalyst of the Providence ARF and ANCA.

One of his pet projects was the fruition of the Armenian Martyrs’ Memorial located at the North Burial Grounds in Providence, which he promoted to the hilt.

His retirement was disguised by helping various Armenian causes, including the kitchens of his church and camp, together with the many groups he patronized.

Memorial contributions may be made to AYF Camp Haiastan, P.O. Box C, Franklin, MA 02038.

Known as “Hardword” because no one in the U.S. Army could pronounce his Armenian name, Krikor (Kirk) Gulezian, a sergeant in General George S. Patton’s 807^th Tank Destroyer Battalion, Headquarters Company, died on Sept. 27 after a brief illness. He earned four Battle Stars in World War II.

Born in Bridgewater, Mass., on March 6, 1917, he was the son of the late Armenoohie and Nishan Gulezian of (Vehree Taghuh) Kharpert and Arapkir in historic Armenia. He was the brother of the late Hovaness (John), a World War II U.S. Navy casualty of war on the USS Meredith DD434.

Kirk was a resident of Arlington, Mass., prior to enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1941, and saw action in the European Theatre, in France, Germany, and Austria. Under the command of Col. Carlton K. Smith, the unit played a major role in the liberation of Metz, France, in 1944. Memorable moments, not pertaining to battles, included having his tooth drilled by the power of a pedal sewing machine, giving his watch with an illuminated dial to a coal miner in Holland, and meeting an Ethiopian in Germany who spoke Armenian. Over his lifetime he contributed one and a half gallons of blood to the American Red Cross.

In an oral history recorded by Gregory H. Arabian, Major, USAF (HD), Kirk noted that he was transferred from the 3^rd Army to 15^th Corps of the 7^th Army during the battle. He said, “We were moving so fast, we paid no attention where we were assigned. We were on the go all the time, servicing all the units on the front lines anywhere and everywhere.”

On Nov. 15, 1944, with the Third Cavalry Group, he drove south along the East Bank of the Moselle River to defend and liberate Metz. “It was a tough fight into Metz,” he recounted. “I was in Headquarters Company but I had to get out into the field, through the mines, and we had to repair the vehicles on the grounds. We were both fighting and repairing the tanks. The place was loaded with mines.”

The 807^th was assigned to the 95^th Infantry Division, and against heavy resistance captured the forts surrounding Metz, and then the city on Nov. 22, 1944. Major General Walton H. Walker then reported to Lt. General Patton that Metz was completely secured. The 807^th and 95^th liberated the city; they share the title, “The Iron Men of Metz,” and were both honored 40 and 60 years later for their heroism and acts of bravery in Metz by the city.

Kirk didn’t talk about the war apart from his oral history session with Arabian; with Roger Hagopian, who produced a World War II documentary; and with close friends—except, that is, except during the movie “Band of Brothers” when he yelled out “It didn’t happen that way!” after seeing an episode his unit was involved in. He said the war was something he preferred to forget. Yet, one thing he did not forget was that on Dec. 18-23, 1944, he was in the Ardennes when the Battle of the Bulge broke out. His group was 7,000-8,000 yards south of the bulge and held that position throughout the battle. The division received a commendation from their commanding officer that describes what the 807^th did: “In August 1944 you launched a drive through Northern France which must rate as one of the most spectacular coups of this war. Your bloody battle of the Saar basin breached the Maginot line, and was leading you well into the Siegfried defenses when the German Ardennes offensive began. Your magnificent force marched to Luxembourg and your spirited defense of the Duchy are now history. In February you crossed the Sauer and smashed the Siegfried line against the bitterest possible conditions of flood, winter cold, and stubborn enemy resistance. Your lightening drive to the Rhine, and vigorous exploitation of its west bank, prepared you for what was probably the first assault crossing of this ancient barrier in military history. Your dash into central Germany, well ahead of any other allied unit, proceeded to electrify our nation. You have advanced some 600 miles into the heart of Nazi Germany, conquering some 12,000 square miles. Since entering Germany alone, you have captured over 125,000 prisoners, taken such prizes as Frankfurt and Worms, seized enormous stores of Military equipment, rolling stock, and supplies, including what must have been the bulk of Germany’s gold reserve, released thousands of Nazi slaves and allied prisoners, and driven a beaten enemy into his last stronghold.”

“How did I feel about the war? I had to defend my country,” Kirk said. “I took it seriously. I was loyal. I was gung ho. … I was brought up that way. Every time I went by a Post Office I took the sign seriously that read, ‘I want YOU for U.S. Army.’ … These days, I do not think we should be involved in world conflicts. I have seen my share of action in the front lines of World War II and would hope we would not repeat it.”

He worked at General Electric in Everett, Mass., following the war, and later was the sales manager of Dodge automobiles at Crawford Motors in Watertown, Mass; and the operations manager of the European Health Spa in West Newton, Mass. He was a member of the First Armenian Church of Belmont, Mass., for over 60 years, where he served as a deacon and head usher for many years. Kirk started the Junior Usher Program at the church to involve young people in the life and service of the church. He was Santa Claus at Christmas for the church for over 10 years and at Masonic Christmas parties. He owned his own Santa Claus suit. He actively visited the sick, confined, and hospitalized throughout his lifetime, and was resident Grandpa at the Craigville Family Camp for 29 years, until his death. He was a Freemason for 65 years, Mystic Valley Lodge, Arlington. He graduated from Arlington High School, attended the Mass College of Pharmacy and later Rindge Tech to gain expertise with automobiles and motors, and also attended training at General Electric for the work he did on the aircraft under their contract.

A man is known not only by the company he keeps, but also by the contents of his wallet. Besides the photos of family, in his neat penmanship he kept the names and phone numbers of his friends, a prayer given to him by General Patton, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream” statement, and the following sayings: “Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and will lose both” and “Today is a time to be grateful for all God has done in our lives, and a time to remember not to take anything for granted, not a single gift, or any person, or even one moment in time, for when God gives it, it is precious. “

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Elizabeth (nee Ananian) of Watertown, where they lived throughout their marriage; his children John and Colleen (McDade) Gulezian, West Newton, and Rev. Joanne (Gulezian) and Dr. Nelson Hartunian, Belmont; and is a grandfather and a great grandfather of the Gulezian, Hartunian, and Lundbohm children. A Service of Resurrection and Celebration of Life, along with recognition of his military contribution in World War II, will be held on Sun., Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. at the First Armenian Church, 380 Concord Ave. in Belmont, with Masonic Rites followed by a Memorial Luncheon with a display of his military memorabilia.

Visiting hours at home by appointment. Memorial gifts may be made in his memory to the First Armenian Church, 380 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA 02478; the 807^th Tank Destroyer Battalion Newsletter, 140 Hillcrest Ave., Fayetteville, GA 30214; the Craigville Retreat Center, Scholarship Fund, 39 Prospect Ave., Centerville, MA 02632; the Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA), 65 Main St., Watertown, MA 02472; or National Association of Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), 395 Concord Avenue, Belmont, MA 02478.

The Armenian Relief Society (ARS) Eastern United States Board of Directors wishes to extend its deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathy on the passing of UngerouhiTakouhi (Queenie) Bagian, a lifelong ARS leader, a recipient of the ARS Agnouni Award for outstanding service and dedication award, and a teacher, mentor, and role model.

The legacy you leave us will endure for generations of Armenians and ARS members. Your legacy is a foundation, an inspiration. We will all miss you.

Ungh. Queenie was a member of the ARS Eastern USA “Artemis” Chapter for more than 60 years. She served on the ARS Central Executive Board and Regional Executive Board, and was chairwoman of the ARS “Artemis” Chapter of Philadelphia. She was involved in every aspect of organizational life, from the grassroots to the podium.

Ungh. Queenie was a true, dedicated role model for many Ungerouis throughout the region. In the toughest of times, she was ready to work with a smile—and never expected praise in return.

Ungh. Queenie, and her husband, Unger Albert, spent their lives promoting the ARS cause. They gave their blood, sweat, and tears to the Armenian Relief Society. As they always said, the “ARS is the organization that has distinguished itself on every continent.”

Ungh. Takouhi Bagian long sought to brighten the Armenian cultural, educational and social life in Philadelphia through selfless dedication to the goals of the Armenian Relief Society.  In 1970, she established the ARS Junior Auxiliary, comprised of young university students who supported the ARS Summer Studies Program (currently the Youth Connect Program).

She also served as a full-time volunteer Armenian school teacher for language, song, dance, and history, while serving as an ARS representative to the Armenian National Educational Council (ANEC). She prepared a practical Armenian lesson book for Armenian-American youngsters, and continued to develop her life long love of Armenian music and poetry. She organized, developed, and promoted theatrical productions, concerts, and other cultural programs.

Both Ung. Albert and Ungh. Takouhi made countless contribution to the Armenian Relief Society’s projects and programs in the United States and in Armenia.

Together, they were champion donors of the ARS Mother-Child Clinic in Yerevan and served as benefactors to several other charities. Ungh. Queenie’s love and attachment to the ARS was endless. Just last September, she sponsored the “Artemis” Chapter’s 102^nd anniversary celebration.

Her tireless devotion, dedication, and lifelong efforts on behalf of the Armenian people will be missed.

“Vartzhket gadar,” Ungerouhi. “ Hoghe tetev ella.”

The legacy you leave us will endure for generations of Armenians and ARS members. Your legacy is a foundation, an inspiration. We will all miss you. May you rest well. Your beloved Armenian Relief Society will prosper and continue your legacy of providing humanitarian assistance to Armenians throughout the world.

Armen P. Babamian, a longtime resident of New Milford, N.J., formerly of Cliffside Park, passed away on Dec. 24, 2012, at the age of 97.

Armen, a retired insurance salesman, an avid tennis player, and a world-renowned soloist, began his career in 1949 with the Armenian National Chorus of New York as a principal soloist. He was a choir master at St. Illuminator Armenian Church in New York City for 25 years and the conductor of the Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Church in Ridgefield, N.J., for 25 years.

In 1999, he was the recipient of the Mesrob Mashdots Metal and Holy Encyclical Metal by Catholicos Aram I of Antelias. Armen is survived by his beloved wife Rita of 71 years of marriage. He was the devoted father of Carole Abbatiello and her husband Joseph, and Armen J. Babamian and his wife Amelia; and loving grandfather of Christine Manning (Michael), Lynn Madden Toufayan (Arthur), Joseph Abbatiello (Carissa), Gernelle Bokuniewicz (Dan) and Armen P. Babamian II. He has 10 terrific great-grandchildren and is survived by a large extended family.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Church or the American Heart Association.

Helen Nazarian Pompeian passed away on Dec. 17 at St. Mary’s Hospital at the age of 87.

She was born and raised in Pontiac, Mich., and worked as a probate registrar of the Juvenile Court of Oakland County. In 1945, she married Edward Pompeian. In 1972, she moved to Rochester, Minn., for her son to receive medical care at the Mayo Clinic, and a year later donated a kidney to him. She wrote about these tribulations in her book, Gifts of Love and Life. Helen dedicated her life to her family and was an advocate for bringing hope to other transplant patients and their families. For many years she worked as a secretary at her son’s real estate firm and later worked as an administrative assistant at the Gift of Life Transplant House. She was a member of the Armenian Cultural Organization of Minnesota and Ascension Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Helen was a beautiful woman full of courage, strength, and compassion. She enjoyed entertaining and cooking Armenian food, sharing life stories and experiences, and spending time with her grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her father, mother, and sisters Alice, May, and Isabelle. She is survived by her brothers Paul Nazarian and Richard Kirk, sister Janet (Edward) Mardigian, daughter Sharon (Michael) Maraian, son Edward (Jayne) Pompeian, and five grandchildren Paul (Arous) Maraian, Edward, Aaron, Nicholas, and Adrienne Pompeian, and one great-granddaughter Araxi Helen Maraian.

Memorials are requested to be sent to the Gift of Life Transplant House in Rochester. Online condolences are welcome atwww.mackenfuneralhome.com.

By Charles and Lucine Kasbarian

Armen Babamian was a leading guardian of our nation’s musical heritage in the Armenian Diaspora. He bridged Armenian musical customs from the past into the present to instruct countless Armenian-American community choirs. In Ridgefield, N.J., he was instrumental in establishing one of the most harmonious Armenian choirs in the United States—a group comprised of generations of Armenian-Americans, young and old—whom he trained to perform the traditional interpretation of our beloved Armenian Divine Liturgy.

Armen with his wife, Rita, and their extended family, on his 90th birthday.

Armen sang his first solo at the age of 12 in the Holy Cross Armenian Church of Union City, N.J. He was featured as tenor soloist in his junior and senior years in high school and subsequently studied voice with Manley Price Boone at the Metropolitan Opera Studios. Following an audition by director, Robert Shaw, Armen was accepted in the Collegiate Chorale, and qualified for the Varsity Choir and Shaw’s CBS Radio Choir.

As an active member of the Armenian community, Armen sang tenor leads in operas and operettas such as “Anoush,”“Arshin Mal Alan,”and “Gharabaghi Melikner.” In addition, he joined the New Jersey Chorale and, as a featured tenor soloist for many years, performed lead roles in “Oklahoma,” “Showboat,” “Annie,” “Get Your Gun,” and the Gilbert & Sullivan operettas,“Mikado,” “Pirates of Penzance,” “Ruddigore,” and “Trial by Jury.” He performed under the batons of orchestral conductors such as Leopold Stokowski, Sir Thomas Beecham, and Arturo Toscanini. He appeared with Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians and assisted Paul Robeson in the presentation of Ballad for Americans at Lewisohn Stadium in New York.

As a tribute to his Armenian heritage, Armen specialized in performing the classical songs of the godfather of Armenian folk music, Gomidas Vartabed. He credits his “varbed,” Mihran Toumajan—one of the famous “five” pupils of Gomidas—for helping him to better appreciate the Master’s musical genius. Toumajan declared Armen to be the foremost American-born interpreter of Gomidas. Armen is the first American-born Armenian tenor to have attempted the challenging study and execution of the work of the famed 18th-century Armenian troubadour, Sayat Nova. As poetess Sosy Krikorian-Kadian eloquently stated, “Armen Babamian is the gifted child of a new world, from which the mountains of Armenia might have never been seen; yet he never ceased to ascend them in song, and brought the genius of Gomidas, Ganatchian, and the passions of the minstrel Sayat Nova to generations of American-Armenians who might otherwise have been denied the joy and knowledge of that treasured music which is their rightful inheritance.”

Armen Babamian, choirmaster of the Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church of Ridgefield, N.J., with pastor, deacons, and choir, in 1983

Armen was the choirmaster of St. Illuminator’s Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in New York for 25 years, and from 1965 to 2001 was choirmaster of Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Church of Ridgefield. After singing as principal soloist for the Armenian National Chorus of New York under successive conductors—Haroutiun Mehrab, Florence Mardirosian, and Mihran Toumajan—Armen took over the conducting duties of the chorus from 1949-55.

In the absence of maestro Krikor Pidedjian, Armen directed the Kousan Chorus of New York in 1964 at the New York World’s Fair. At a time when some communities did not have choirmasters of their own, Armen would travel to St. Gregory Armenian Church in Philadelphia, Pa., and St. Gregory Armenian Church in Indian Orchard, Mass., on a weekly basis in the 1950’s and 1960’s to teach the “Soorp Badarak” to their choirs.

In 1966, he founded and, for many years, directed the Armenian Chorale of New Jersey. A highlight occurred in Armen’s musical career when, on April 13, 1970, he conducted a 75-voice choir at Riverside Church in New York City. Two thousand people were on hand to hear Catholicos Khoren of the Holy See of Cilicia celebrate High Pontifical Mass.

Armen’s musical abilities were also put to use for other church communities. In the 1980’s, he was invited to assist the Assyrian community in recording their own liturgy in which melodies, centuries old, had never been documented in written form. Armen audiotaped the liturgy performed at St. Mary’s Assyrian Church of Paramus, N.J., annotated the music, and subsequently taught the choir their own liturgy in three-part harmony.

On Sept. 29, 1973, Armen’s many friends and admirers gathered at a testimonial banquet honoring him for his many years of dedicated service to the Armenian community. Karekin I, Catholicos of All Armenians, who was then the newly elected Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, as an honored guest at the banquet, praised the entire community for acknowledging their profound gratitude and paying tribute to a true son of the Armenian nation. In 1999, the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church sponsored the presentation of the treasured St. Mesrob Mashdots Medal and Holy Encyclical by Catholicos Aram I of Antelias in acknowledgment of and appreciation for Armen’s years of devoted service. In 2000, the the board of trustees, church choir, and congregation of Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church of Ridgefield also honored Armen for his years of devoted service as their choirmaster.

Everyone, from his pupils to the institutional leaders under whom he was employed, recognized the invaluable service Armen performed toward the preservation of our precious cultural heritage. And he always encouraged the youth to “carry on.” For an article in the Armenian Weekly about dynamic 90-year-old Armenian-Americans, Lucine called to mind the impact Armen had on her and her brother, Antranig. “Those who know Armen can vouch for how he measured up to his birth date of Dec. 25, 1915. Armen has embodied the spirit of Christ and the resurrection of our people throughout his lifetime as a guardian and disseminator of our great Armenian musical legacy. He is that rare talent and patriot who knows the context of the music so that his resulting interpretation contains all the emotion and authenticity the musical subject matter requires. Our experiences singing in Armen’s choir, starting at ages six and five, directly contributed to our active involvement in Armenian community affairs. Many of his young singers were touched by his example and followed in his footsteps by performing and teaching our Armenian musical heritage.”

Dear Editor,

It is always difficult to lose a public servant in our Armenian community. It’s even harder if such an individual was as multifaceted and dedicated to his church and organizations as Dr. Varant Hagopian.

Dr. Varant Hagopian

A respected ophthalmologist and one of Boston Magazine’s top eye doctors, Dr. Hagopian never possessed any pretensions of grandeur, yet he was grand in his own humble way.

Whether it was his role with the Armenian Prelacy or the Friends of Armenian Culture Society (FACS), Dr. Hagopian was a visionary who sought to keep his people united and strong.

Whether he did it through generous philanthropy or rolled up his sleeves, he never settled for mediocrity.

My best impression of the man was not on some dais accepting an award or the many titles he held throughout his active life. That is not what personified his character.

Instead, it was moments at Symphony Hall when he was surrounded by members of his family, exposing his children and grandchildren to fine music. He was truly inside his element at Armenian Night at the Pops, served that particular venue over six decades.

His passion for classical music and the Armenian performing arts made him a somewhat inveterate follower. To say he was a consummate practitioner in both the medical and concert stage is putting it mildly.

No doubt, the organization would never have prospered and persevered had it not been for his expertise and insight as a valued committee member and catalyst. He served on the planning committee and delighted in seeing his efforts utilized on stage with some of the world’s greatest musicians and conductors.

The devotion he rendered to his wife Ruth and members of his family remains his biggest legacy.

Tom Vartabedian
Haverhill, Mass.

BILLERICA, Mass.—Even in death, Ojen Fantazian left an indelible impression.

Genocide survivor Ojen Fantazian lived for her family.

Dignified to the end, the 99-year-old genocide survivor gave her family and friends another reason to celebrate her life, and a monumental one at that.

Dozens gathered at St. Stephen’s Church in Watertown to pay their final respects to a woman who never wavered, not during the turmoil that struck her native village of Chimichgadzag. Not during the loss of her husband Harry at an early age. Not during an occasional health lapse that might have robbed her vitality, but never her spirit.

She regularly attended genocide commemorations, often the only survivor representing her peers; attended church services with family members; continued reading her Armenian journals; and still listened to an opera.

Her death brings the number of remaining survivors in Merrimack Valley and southern New Hampshire to two, Nellie Nazarian and Thomas Magarian, both in their centennial years.

As a member of the Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee of Merrimack Valley, I looked forward to her annual visits to our observances, much the same way I did my own mom. And for good reason.

Aside from the fact they were both survivors, they also shared a mutual namesake. They were both Ojens. And they would sit next to one another and bring each other comfort with their red carnations in hand and their faces written with emotion.

The similarities were remarkable. Both escaped turmoil in their native villages, my Ojen from Dikranagert, Ojen Fantazian from Chimichgadzag. Both succumbed just short of their 100th year.

As they fled for their lives, they watched loved ones being deported and persecuted. They watched the breath being taken from their homeland.

Through sacrifice and commitment, they maintained their identity and were a voice for fellow immigrants who followed them to this Promised Land. In unity, they portrayed strength.

I watched with pride as the two Ojens took each other’s hand and sang the “Hayr Mer.” They were our rock, our inspiration, our identity.

It made me realize that among the truly precious commodities in life—far deeper than money or all the objects of ambition—is the love we share for those who made our existence possible and the friendships of all those whom we treasure deeply.

The pedestal Ojen Fantazian was put upon one year at the Massachusetts Statehouse could have very well have been the footstool in her kitchen.

My mother was the last of her kind to leave Haverhill. Ojen Fantazian was in a class by herself in Billerica inside a community that once bolstered some 75 survivors in the mid-1960’s.

The thought of Ojen and her timeless pearls of wisdom, her jovial character, which brought a smile to those she embraced and joy to an often dreary world.

In her latter days, she held court at an assisted living facility, noting the time when the genocide struck and people were fleeing the country. “We took a horse and buggy and we were with the animals in the train,” she recalled.

Ojen presented a film that was made of her childhood escape, joined by her son Jim, a local optometrist.

Ojen, along with her mother, grandmother, aunt, uncle, and two cousins, were driven from their village by Ottoman-Turkish scoundrels. As they fled for their lives, they squeezed into small places on undesirable transportation while traveling with soldiers.

Children in the family spent time in the orphanage while their parents tried to earn money in any way possible.

To illustrate the severity of her situation, Ojen told the story of an Armenian general who handed her mother a gun for protection on the road. She always remembered him as her hero.

“It’s a wonder we escaped,” Ojen often said. “A lot of times, we didn’t have food. We would suffer.”

After having her head shaved to ensure she would pass a lice inspection, Ojen and her family boarded a vessel departing for Greece, crossing the Black Sea and eventually landing on Ellis Island in 1920.

Ojen specifically recalled mothers throwing their children into the river, believing that such a burial was a more desirable fate than falling into the hands of the Turks. Her own mother once admitted she had considered doing the same.

“We would have been murdered or taken as slaves by the Turks,” she recounted. “I never knew my father, who had previously come to America when I was a baby. He never made it back to Armenia.”

The American dream quickly turned into reality. The family lived with an uncle in Leominster, Mass., quickly adapting to their new world.

Her mother remarried a fellow Armenian refugee and they moved to Lawrence, then Worcester, where her stepfather bought a convenience store. Ojen worked there as a child.

She spent most of her adult life in Arlington, where she and her husband raised two active children, James and Nancy, Two grandchildren, James Asbedian and Susan Ciaffi, and six great-grandchildren brought her extended happiness over time.

For 10 years, she helped teach English to foreign children in the Arlington School System and once presided over the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). She was a lover of classical music, especially opera, and often attended the Metropolitan Opera Society presentations in Boston.

She enjoyed seeing some of the great artists of her time and instilled a musical interest in her children.

Ojen supported a number of Armenian charities throughout her life, donating what little money she could muster. For years, she sent the Prelacy checks for orphans, always with an encouraging note. Her generosity was straight from the heart.

“My age has nothing to do with it,” she often told others. “So long as I feel healthy and willing, I want to serve my heritage.”

Among the other survivors is a brother, David Davidian.

During one of her tributes, it was mentioned how Ojen loved the stories that were periodically written and told about her, especially those that talked about her teaching days. She treasured that role and the rewards that came from educating students.

May she rest in peace.

Anne N. Merian, daughter of the late Neshan and Arshalous Najarian, was born May 17, 1923, and passed away at her home on Feb. 14, 2013 in Cambridge, Mass. She is survived by her three brothers and their wives, Michael and Alice Najarian, K. George and Dr. Carolann S. Najarian, and Nishan and Anahid Najarian, and by her nephews and nieces, Michael, Gary, Stephen, David, Robert, Richard, Patricia, Nancy, Sonia, and Ara, and their children.

Anne graduated from Cambridge High and Latin, and then went on to college at Boston University. After graduation, she became a pioneer for women in the publishing field, working as an editor of medical textbooks for McGraw Hill in New York City until the early 1970’s. She then moved back to Cambridge where she continued working as an editor with Little Brown & Company, in their medical textbook division, until her retirement. She was widely recognized within her profession as an outstanding editor with many major medical textbooks to her credit.

Anne loved to travel and did so with her family and friends, including a memorable trip to Armenia in the 1990’s. She took great pride in her Armenian heritage, and in that spirit willingly gave of her time and professional expertise by editing English texts for various people and organizations, including for the Zoryan Institute when it was still located in Cambridge.

Despite the difficulties imposed by failing health, Anne maintained a wonderful sense of humor as well as a deep reverence for the written and spoken word until she died.

Anne was a dear sister, loving aunt, and good friend who will be sorely missed and always remembered for her warm and generous spirit.

Funeral services will be held on Feb. 25 at 11 a.m. at St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church, 38 Elton Ave., Watertown, Mass. At the family’s request, donations in lieu of flowers may be made to St. Stephen’s Church and St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School.

Dr. Hratch Armen Abrahamian was born October 25, 1921 in Rasht, Iran to Armenak and Shoushanik Abrahamian. He was the eldest brother to his twin brothers, Babgen and Vazgen. Hratch and his brothers followed the footsteps of their father, Armenak and studied dentistry. Dr. Hratch received his BS degree from Alborz College in Iran, 1941, and his DMD from Tehran University school of Dentistry in 1945. His craving for further education led him to Paris where he received his MS degree from University of Paris in 1947. But still that was not enough, he came to the US and attended Northwestern University school of Dentistry, Chicago and received his DDS degree in 1951. He then continued his training in Memorial Cancer Hospital in NY until 1954.

During his training at the Memorial Cancer Hospital in NY, he met his beloved wife, Angeline Abrahamian and were married March 17, 1954. In August of 1954, they moved to Washington DC where he became affiliated with the Georgetown University School of Dentistry, where he was associate professor of the Department of Prosthodontics, in charge of Maxillofacial Prosthetics and the Director of the Cleft Palate Center.

In 1969, He received the second annual Harold W. Krogh Award for outstanding contribution to control of oral cancer. Dr. Abrahamian also volunteered  at the cancer Society for over 10 years. He was a consultant at the NIH, VA Hospital, Washington, Hospital Center (Tumor board), Dc General Hospital, and attending staff at the Georgetown University Hospital.

He loved dentistry and only retired a few years prior his passing.

Since the independence of the Republic of Armenia, he traveled to Armenia 36 times, one time with Fulbright scholarship, where he spent 4 months there, consulting and training Yereven University dental and Medical school residents. He translated many of his dental books to Armenian and published it at four different times. These books are currently being thought at the University.

He established a Maxillofacial dental center in the military hospital in the Armenia with the support of the Armenian American Health Association of Greater Washington. He trained all the residents and the center was and is its only kind in the entire region.

During the Lebanon war , he traveled to the war zone four times, helping the Armenians. He was instrumental in collecting over $1,000,000.00 in aid from the Armenian-Iranian community for the Armenians in Lebanon.

He had meetings with every Presidents of the US from president Nixon to George W. Bush, discussing Armenian issues.

He always had a positive attitude toward life, if you ever asked him “how are you” his response was always “gerazantz” or perfect. He was the backbone of the Abrahamian family, He was intelligent, hard working, thoughtful and compassionate.  He was a dedicated dentist, father, grand father, brother, and uncle. He loved his family and enjoyed spending time with them. Everyone who knew him adorned his caring and compassionate attitude toward life. He will be missed dearly, but his memory will always remain in our hearts.

He is survived by his dughter Karen Hatchik, his grand dughters Andrea and Valerie, four great grandchildren, sister in laws Astghik and Lida Abrahamian, and his nieces and nephews, Shakeh, Armen, Rouzan, Teny and Armineh Abrahamian.

On March 4, members of the Granite City, Ill., Armenian community came together to bid farewell to Arthur (Kegham) Bedian at funeral services held in St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church. The services were followed by a military funeral ceremony performed by members of the U.S. Air Force in front of the Armenian Genocide Memorial. Mourners then gathered at the Community Center for a memorial dinner and to celebrate Arthur Bedian’s life.

Art Bedian

A life-long member of the Granite City community, Arthur was born to Asadour and Elizabeth (nee Yeghiazarian) Bedian on Aug. 28, 1922, and spent his childhood in the Lincoln Place neighborhood. As a youth, he played in the “Daron” band and was a member of the Granite City High School’s 1940 State Champion basketball team He was a charter member of the Granite City “Antranig” Chapter of the ARF Tzeghagrons (later Armenian Youth Federation), joining along with dozens of other youth in 1933 during a visit by famed Armenian General Karekin Njdeh.

It was through the AYF that he met the love of his life, Mary T. Knekleian, whom he married on Oct. 18, 1942, in Detroit, Mich., and who passed away on Nov. 6, 2004. Shortly after his marriage to Mary, Arthur was called up to serve in the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II, where he fought in New Guinea and the Philippines and achieved the rank of Technical Sergeant. Upon returning home from the war, he joined his wife in Detroit for a brief period of time before returning to Granite City.

In 1954, the Armenian community acquired a church sanctuary in Lincoln Place and Arthur began a relationship with St. Gregory’s that continued throughout the rest of his life. He served many years as a member of the Board of Trustees, often as chairman, and as delegate to the National Representative Assembly of the Armenian Prelacy. He remained a faithful parishioner of the church throughout his life, attending nearly every Sunday until his health declined.

Arthur Bedian was a long-time leader of the “Hriar” Gomideh of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and also taught in the Armenian school. Frustrated by the lack of a modern English-Armenian dictionary for non-native Armenian speakers, Arthur spent over a decade creating a simplified English-Armenian dictionary.

Arthur Bedian was also a family man, and took much joy in being a part of the lives of his children, Lisa Bedian Kurtz and her husband Robert, of St. Charles, Mo., and Greg Bedian and his wife Silva, and his grandchildren Knar, Garin, and Daron Bedian, of Arlington Heights, Ill. He was predeceased by his sister Sue (Surpouhi) Neman, and is survived by his sister Carolyn (Keghouhi) Chalmers and her husband George of Middletown, N.J., and his extended family and many friends.

The 40-day requiem (karasounk) service will be held on Sun., April 14, 2013 at St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church in Granite City. Memorials may be given to St. Gregory’s Armenian Apostolic Church of Granite City, the Hairenik Association, or Meridian Village Benevolent Care, and will be accepted by Irwin Chapel, 3960 Maryville Road, Granite City, IL 62040 (www.irwinchapel.com).

Isaac Hagopian of Waltham, Mass., passed away on April 19, 2013. He was the beloved husband of Jessy (Nuyujukian) Hagopian; the devoted father of Hagop Isaac Hagopian of Waltham, Jane Rita Duprey and her husband Jack of Stow, Tanya Jessie Howard and her husband Wayne of Longmont, Colo., and Greggory Hagopian of Watertown; the loving grandfather of David, Lily, and Brayden Duprey and Alexander and Lara Howard; and the dear brother of Lucy Sahagian and her husband Vartan of Paramus, N.J., and Barkev Hagopian and his wife Azad of Receda, Calif.

Services were held at the First Armenian Church on 380 Concord Ave. in Belmont on Wed., April 24 at 10 a.m. Interment was at Mt. Feake Cemetery, Waltham. Expressions of sympathy may be made in his memory to First Armenian Church, 380 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA 02478.

Born in Paterson, N.J., in 1929, Dr. Jack Hachigian attended elementary school there and graduated from Eastside High School. He was an altar boy starting at age six, was ordained as a deacon in the Armenian Apostolic Church in 1951, and spearheaded the successful campaign to build a new church in Westchester, N.Y.

Jack Hachigian

He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in 1950 and took his first job at the Manhattan Project at Columbia University, as a Research Assistant to Dr. C. S. Wu, a member of the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, Dr. Hachigian attended electronics school for one year in Biloxi, Miss. Receiving his Ravens Wings, he was sent to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Research and Development Command), where he worked on the design of electronic warfare and reconnaissance equipment. He was the Unit Chief responsible for developing the first spy satellites and electronic data processing using computers.

Leaving the Air Force, he completed his Ph.D. at Indiana University while writing his dissertation at Brown University. His specialties were in Markov Processes, computer simulation of Random Processes, and the sterilization of food. He published 26 research papers in leading journals and taught advanced mathematics as a professor at such institutions as Indiana University, Cornell University, and CUNY. He also served as the president of the American Statistical Association.

Dr. Hachigian retired to San Diego in 1990. In retirement, his interest turned to creating ceramic crosses based on miniatures found in ancient Armenian manuscripts (9^th-14^th centuries), and created more than 20 designs. His works have been purchased and can be found all over the United States, Europe, and in Zimbabwe. He also published three articles on ceramics, with a front cover review article on the works of Wang Chen Wen (a now-famous ceramist in China) and a piece about his ceramic crosses, in Ceramics Monthly magazine.

Keenly aware of his heritage and the history of the Armenian people, and having been ordained as a deacon in 1951, he designed a monument to commemorate their tragic past based on their three pillars of strength: their culture, faith, and language. His passionate efforts drove the building of several pieces of the monument, which is scheduled to be installed in 2015 for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

For many decades Dr. Hachigian was a member of St. John Garabed Armenian Church in San Diego, where he served as Parish Council chairman and spearheaded the campaign to pay off (“burn”) the mortgage. He was an advisor for several years to Junior Achievement of Armenia, and he organized several years of the Armenian Opera Night in San Diego whenever Armenian vocalists made appearances with the San Diego Opera. He was also a member of the Knights of Vartan, an Armenian fraternal organization, and was instrumental in the formation of its San Diego chapter. He served as a member of the Trex Armenian Fraternity since 1991. He also authored his Musa Dagh-themed cookbook, Secrets of an Armenian Kitchen.

In 2006, he received an Encyclical (“Guntag”) from His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church, honoring him for his years of dedicated service to the Armenian church and community.

Dr. Hachigian is survived by his children, Garo Hachigian and Nina Hachigian (Joe Deegan-Day), his two grandchildren, four nephews, many grand nieces and nephews and cousins.

Internment will be held on Tues., May 30 at 12 p.m. at Fort Rosecrans Military Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the St. John Garabed Trust Fund, 4473 30^th Street, San Diego, CA 92116.

Aram Hagop Kalikian, 88, formerly of Cranston, R.I., passed away July 1, 2013 in Frederick, Md. Born on Oct. 20, 1924 to Hagop Kalikian (born in Agn, Turkey) and Haigouhi-Artinian Kalikian (born in Bucharest, Romania), he grew up in Bucharest, Romania, with his sister Louisa (1921) and brother Garabed (1923). Due to the early and prolonged illness of his father, Aram had a very brief childhood and schooling, and became an apprentice to a master jeweler in order to help his family. Hardship followed Aram, as he lost his parents and brother in the early 1940’s. However, through hard labor and an honest application of his trade, he was able to survive the tough years during World War II in Romania and immigrated to Armenia in 1948 with his sister Louisa. Unbeknownst to him, the same ship that transported him to Armenia was also carrying his future bride, Vassilica Effeian. In Armenia, Aram quickly earned a reputation as a trusted and well-respected master jeweler, and trained many young apprentices. Aram, along with a few of his fellow recent emigrants from the diaspora, was instrumental in establishing the first fine jewelry manufacturing factory in the then-Soviet Republic of Armenia. The facility went on to become one of the major fine jewelry production facilities in the former USSR. Aram was also a fine model maker, and many of his jewelry creations earned top prizes and awards.

Aram and Vassilica Effeian met each other in Yerevan, and after a brief courtship were married on April 25, 1954. Aram and Vassilica immigrated to New York City in August 1973 with their two sons, Hagop and Varoujan. Soon after his arrival, Aram opened a small jewelry business on 47th Street, in Manhattan’s jewelry district. Here again, Aram soon became recognized as an honest and hardworking master jeweler. In 2007, Aram and Vassilica moved to Cranston, R.I. They were in the process of moving to Frederick, Md., when Aram succumbed to illness and passed away at Frederick Memorial Hospital. Aram and Vassilica were looking forward to beginning a new chapter in their long marriage by moving into their new apartment at Spring Ride Senior Apartments when Our Lord called him. Heaven must have been in need of a master jeweler.

Aram is survived by Vassilica, his loving wife of 59 years, their two sons Hagop and Varoujan, and their spouses Armine and Aida, and four grandchildren, Arpi, Aram, Arman, and Narek, his sister Louisa of Salem, Mass., and two nieces Haigouhi and Araxi, and their spouses Onig and Richard, and their children Ara, Manoug, Hasmig, Anahid, and Karine.

Despite having gone through much hardship and turmoil, Aram loved and enjoyed life, and was always infusing laughter and joy at many happy gatherings, by singing, reciting poems, and telling jokes. Aram loved to host friends and family at his home for all occasions, and especially enjoyed decorating Vassilica’s delicious preparations, and made certain the dining table was always well stocked and decorated for guests. He particularly enjoyed singing and was always complimented for his good vocals. Despite having limited education, he loved to read and was able to learn on his own to read, write, and speak three other languages, in addition to his native Romanian. He succeeded in learning how to read and write Armenian, Russian, and, finally at the age of 50, English. Aram was a caring and generous person, who always offered to help when he saw the need.

Aram loved life, and was loved by all who were lucky enough to get to know him well. He will be greatly missed.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in his memory to St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church, 4125 Fessenden St. NW, Washington, DC 20016.

Funeral service was held on Sat., July 6 at 11 a.m. at St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church, followed by burial at Mount Olivet Cemetery, 515 South Market St. in Frederick, Md.

Dr. Laura J. Albanese, 52, of Cranston, R.I., passed away on Tues., Aug. 6 at her home, surrounded by her loving family. Born in Providence, she was the devoted and loving daughter of Catherine (Vartian) Albanese of Cranston and the late Richard A. Albanese; dear sister of Roseann Reo and her husband Mark; and loving aunt of Tayla and Richard Reo, all of Cranston. She is also survived by her three dogs, Maxx, Serena, and Pudgie.

Graduating in the Class of 1978 from Cranston High School West, Laura distinguished herself as an outstanding educator, administrator, and humanitarian. She matriculated as an undergraduate at Rhode Island College in their teacher preparation program, and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in education and Spanish in 1982.

During the next 10 years (1983-93), Laura taught in the Providence school district as a teacher of English as a Second Language and Spanish bilingual studies. She was also enrolled as a graduate student at Rhode Island College and received a Masters of Education degree in 1985. In 1991, she received a Masters of Education degree with an emphasis in school administration from Providence College.

Laura accepted an appointment from the South Kingstown school district as an elementary school assistant principal in 1993. She was appointed elementary school principal by the Cranston school district in 1994. Perhaps the crowning glory to her graduate studies came in 2003 when Boston University bestowed upon her the Doctor of Education degree.

Due to a serious health problem, Laura retired from the Cranston school district as executive director of Educational Programs. Before she passed, she was serving as a professor of educational psychology at the University of Rhode Island.

Dr. Laura Albanese was very active with professional organizations. She was a member of Phi Delta Kappa (educational society), the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, Phi Sigma Iota, and the Rhode Island Association for Elementary School Principals. She was extremely well certified as an educator, having been granted licensure with the Rhode Island Department of Education for elementary grades (K-6), English as a Second Language (endorsement), bilingual education (endorsement), middle school (endorsement), and school administrator (K-8).

Laura was dedicated to her Armenian heritage and her church. She was a member of the Armenian Relief Society and a member of the Armenian Youth Federation. She mentored and taught Sunday School and English language to Armenian immigrants from Baku. She was a member of the United States of America Dance, Rhode Island Chapter (ballroom dance, tap and jazz) and taught dance to students at the Trudeau Center. Laura’s passion for animals led her to become a member of the SPCA and of a local “Dog Foster Care” program. Her humanitarian attributes were demonstrated with her continuous fundraising efforts for the American Cancer Society’s “Dance for a Cause” and the Tomorrow Fund.

Laura was inducted into the Cranston Hall of Fame in 2012 for her exemplary leadership and service to all aspects of education, her humanitarian efforts, and solid character.

Charlotte (Arsha) Kechejian, 100, of New York, passed away peacefully on Sept. 10. She was born in Nigde, Turkey on Oct. 21, 1912 to the late Setrak and Elmone Avakian. As a young child, she endured the horror of the Armenian Genocide, including her father’s murder. Young Arsha lived in an orphanage where her mother was a nurse. Over time, they made their way across the desert of Syria, through Lebanon, then by ship to France, and arrived at Ellis Island in New York when she was 10.

Charlotte Kechejian

Arsha was eager to learn and loved the New York Public Library, where she expanded her English-language skills. Her mother re-married, and Charlotte welcomed a brother, Charlie Genjian. She graduated from Washington Irving High School in New York, and worked in retail.

When Charlotte was 19, she married the love of her life, the late Oscar Kechejian, in 1932. Initially, they lived in Washington Heights, and then moved to New Rochelle, where she raised her family. Shortly after Oscar’s death in 1976, she moved to Fort Lee, N.J., and enjoyed living near Charlie and watching her family expand with grandchildren. Throughout her life, she was an active and loving mother, grandmother, sister, neighbor, and friend.

In recent years, Charlotte took residence at the New York Armenian home in Flushing. She was a vibrant member of the community and remained an active voice to remember and recognize the Armenian Genocide. In 2010, Charlotte went to Washington, D.C. to testify at a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Armenian Genocide Resolution 252. With her testimony, the resolution passed.

As recently as April, she attended the 98th commemoration of the atrocities in Times Square. With the 100th anniversary of the genocide approaching, Charlotte offered interviews and first-hand accounts of what happened. In March she told reporters, “I remember feeling so tired and hungry, but my mother kept telling me to walk just a little more.”

“I miss my father,” she added, shaking her head. “I miss him.”

Charlotte is survived by her three children, Edward Kechejian (Lynn) of Florida, Madeline Magarian (the late Aram Magarian) of New York, and Gregory Kechejian (Diane) of New Jersey. She is also survived by six grandchildren, Eric Kechejian, Christine (Kechejian) Miles, Michael Magarian, Paul Kechejian, Sarah Kechejian, and Lauren Kechejian, and 10 great-grandchildren. Charlotte is also survived by her brother, Charles Genjian (Grace) of New Jersey, along with many nephews, nieces, cousins. and friends.

Funeral services were held on Sept. 12 at the Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs in Bayside, N.Y., followed by the burial beside Oscar at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, N.Y.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to either the Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs (209-15 Horace Harding Expressway, Bayside, NY 11364) or the New York Armenian Home (137-31 45th Avenue, Flushing, NY 11355).

Dr. John Sarkis Manuelian was born on Feb. 1, 1927, in Boston, Mass., to the late Sarkis and Margaret Manuelian. His family moved to Quincy when John was still a young boy. He received his undergraduate education at Boston College and his doctorates from the University of Vermont. Before entering medical school, he taught biology at Boston College. He completed his residency at Boston City Hospital and entered practice as an internist specializing in cardiology at the Carney Hospital in Dorchester. He was also a clinical professor of internal medicine at Boston University Medical School. He served as a captain in the United States Air Force and was chief of medicine at the Tactical Air Command’s England Air Force Base in Alexandria, La.

John Manuelian

On Oct. 27, 1963, he married Lucille (Kuludjian) of Chicago at St. Stephen’s Church. They remained inseparable, enjoying the fruits of their labor, while continuing their dedicated service to the Armenian Church and nation.

A deeply devoted man of faith, at one time John considered studying for the priesthood. He later decided to be a healer of a different kind. Yet, he continued to serve his church and his fellow Armenians with great joy. He held virtually every office a layman could aspire to in the church on a local, national, and international level. He was also one of the founders of the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center (ACEC) in Watertown.

John will be remembered for his gentle ways, his dedication to his family and friends, his readiness to teach and learn from others, his ability to touch the hearts and minds of different generations, and his unwavering commitment to his church and the Armenian people.

Forty-three years ago in an article entitled “The Pastor’s Role in Our Community,” in the Prelacy’s “GILIGIA” journal, he wrote:

“It is when things go hardest, when life becomes most trying, that there is greatest need for having a fixed goal, for having a castle that the outside world cannot wreck. When few comforts come from without, it is all the more necessary to have a fount to draw from within. And the man or woman who has a star toward which to press, he or she cannot be thrown off the course, no matter how the world may try, no matter how far things may seem to be wrong. For us our fixed goal, our castle, our fount, our star is the Armenian Apostolic Church with its teachings, spirit, strength, and eventual salvation. We are privileged sons of that glorious people; we are humble servants of that church which is ours. Today the only real possession of the Armenian people is their church; may we guard her zealously.”

The Hairenik Association expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of John Manuelian.

Edward Nubar Guleserian, of Belmont and Scituate, Mass., the president of the Sheraton Commander Hotel in Cambridge, passed away suddenly on Oct. 7. It was his 76^th birthday. Just after he kissed his wife that morning, he said, “It’s a good day. It’s my birthday.”

Edward Nubar Guleserian (Photo by Mark Oristano)

His funeral was held on Oct. 10 at St. James Armenian Apostolic Church in Watertown. Officiating were Most Rev. Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate; Very Rev. Krikor H. Maksoudian; Rev. Fr. Arakel Aljalian; Rev. Fr. Arsen Barsamian; Rev. Fr. Mampre Kouzouian; Rev. Fr. Vasken Kouzouian; Rev. Fr. Krikor Sabounjian; Rev. Fr. Khachatur Kesablyan; Rev. Fr. Vard Gyozalyan; and Rev. Fr. Antranig Baljian.

Edward is survived by his wife Nancy (Aghaian) Guleserian, his daughter Dr. Kristine Jane Guleserian of Dallas, and his son Michael Edward Guleserian of Cambridge.

He is also survived by his sister Mary (Guleserian) Bergoudian, his niece Susan Hazarvartian and family, his nephew Tad Guleserian and family, his niece Joy (Guleserian) Foley and family, and his niece Melanie (Guleserian) Metz and family.

Edward was the youngest of three children born on Oct. 7, 1937 in Arlington, Mass., to Armenian immigrant parents, Dertad and Vergin (Mahseregian) Guleserian, both from Aintab, Turkey.

His christening ceremony was held at the St. James Church and was followed by a traditional shish kebab dinner at the Aghaian Farm in Sherborn, ironically the home of his future wife Nancy.

He graduated from Watertown High School in 1955 and received a Bachelor of Science degree in metallurgical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1960. After being briefly commissioned as an army artillery officer stationed at Ft. Sill, Okla., he was recruited as a metallurgist to the Bethlehem Steel Corporation in Buffalo, N.Y.

It was also in 1960, at an Aintab Convention at the Cliff Hotel in Scituate, that he met a young girl in a green sweater—Nancy Aghaian.

Ed met Nancy again at an Armenian dance held at the Sheraton Commander Hotel in 1965. After talking with her that evening, he traveled back and forth from Hamburg, N.Y., to Sherborn. Their first date was on New Year’s Day in 1966, at the Ice Capades.

In February 1967, Ed and Nancy were engaged, and on June 3 that same year they were married at the St. James Armenian Church. Their reception followed in the George Washington Ballroom at the Sheraton Commander. They were blessed with two children, Kristine Jane, now a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, and Michael Edward, the general manager of the Sheraton Commander.

After relocating to the Boston area from New York in 1969, they resided in an apartment in the Sheraton Commander Hotel. In July 1972, they bought their summer home in Scituate and several years later their current home in Belmont.

Upon his return to Boston, Ed also became active within the Armenian community and local civic organizations.  He was president of the Sheraton Commander Hotel where a restaurant named Dertad’s was opened in the late 1970’s in his father’s honor. He was a Parish Council member at the St. James Church and served as bazaar chairman. He was a member and past president of the Council of Armenian Executives, a member of the St. James Men’s Club, and a member of the Mr. and Mrs. Group, where he served as treasurer for many years.

He was a former director of Catholic Charities Cambridge/Somerville, a Board member of the Greater Boston Hotel Association, treasurer of the Cambridge Hotel Association, director of the Harvard Square Business Association, treasurer and director of the Cambridge Center of Commerce, and long-time member and president of the Cambridge Rotary Club. He considered it an honor to help feed the homeless on Thanksgiving and ring the bell in Harvard Square for the Salvation Army during the holidays every year.

He also served as former president/director of Hugo’s Lighthouse Restaurant in Cohasset, corporator of the Mt. Auburn Hospital, and treasurer and director of the New England Backgammon Club. He was also a partner in Patten Manor Realty, Adams Realty Associates, and Commander Realty Associates.

For his untiring commitment to the Cambridge community, in 1997 the mayor of Cambridge designated the corner of Garden Street and Berkley Street as the Edward N. Guleserian Square. A decade later he and his wife Nancy were recognized as Parishoners of the Year at St. James Church and were honored recipients of the prestigious St. Nersess Shnorhali (the Graceful) Medal in 2007.

In 2011, his son Michael opened the restaurant Nubar in the Sheraton Commander, with the name chosen this time in Ed’s honor.

Ed’s most enjoyable times were spent relaxing at the beach house in Scituate where he shared his love of boating, fishing, and cooking with his family. He was most known for his plentiful garden, sharing his famous tomatoes, being the master of the grill, playing a good game of cards, watching his Boston/New England sports teams, and his devilish grin when joking around or playing pranks on his closest friends. Spending time with the dogs, Gigi and Gus, always brought a smile to his face. He loved his wife dearly and knew just how to push her buttons even when unprovoked. There will be no mention of casino trips or his ritual of scratching lottery tickets.

He will always be remembered for his kind heart, soft-spoken nature, selflessness, generosity, honesty, loyalty, sense of humor and, most of all, endearing love for his wife Nancy, daughter Kristine, and son Michael.

Interment was at the Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. Donations in his honor may be made to St. James Armenian Apostolic Church, 465 Mt. Auburn Street, Watertown, MA 02472.

Roupen Barsoumian, a loyal friend, brother, and Armenian, unexpectedly left us a week ago. A resident of New York for more than four decades, he was one of the last representatives of the post-genocide, second-generation Aleppo-Armenian teachers and community leaders, whose personal virtues and extraordinary intellectual stature was unknown to many due to his modesty.

Roupen Barsoumian

He was one of the founders of the New York branch of Hamazkayin, an organization he served tirelessly for more than four decades. A close friend of American-Armenian writers, such as Hagop Garabents and Jirayr Attarian, Roupen once half-jokingly said they told him not to write, “so we have a reader,” in recognition to his sharp literary critic’s eye.

The proud son of Ayntap Armenians, his first language was Turkish. When he was five years old, he returned home crying from his first day at school, as he had been unable to understand his classmates and they had not understood him. “Ermenice konuşurlar, yavrum” (“They speak Armenian, my child”) his grandmother had told him. He left this world mastering Armenian as very few do, a language he revered. One of his greatest concerns was the restoration of the classical or Mashtotsian orthography in the homeland, a goal he pursued without being deterred by the considerable obstacles for its accomplishment. The unhealed wound of his life was his brother Hagop Barsoumian’s kidnapping and disappearance in unknown circumstances in Beirut, during Lebanon’s civil war.

Until the last days of his life, the fate of his brother weighed on his soul. Orphaned at an early age, Hagop, Roupen, and their sister Silva (currently living in New York) spent their childhood and teenage years at Aleppo’s “Badsbaran.” Always surrounded by friends and loved by them for his unconditional generosity of the Ayntap Armenian, fate had it that he parted alone and orphaned.

Roupen passed away without any moral debt and left us indebted to him. We hope he joins his brother and his two friends, who left us a year ago—Aris Sevag, one of his closest friends in New York, and Bedros Hadjian, a friend and colleague from their youth in Aleppo. They were all devoted Armenians, who kept the torch of Armenian culture burning and passed it on to the new generations. Fundamentally, in the purest sense of the word, they were good men. God bless Roupen’s soul and give solace to his family and loved ones.