Haiganoush Magarian (1920-2016)

The Armenian community lost a fierce and devoted sister on the morning of Tues., Feb. 16. Haiganoush, of Fairfield, Conn., passed away peacefully, at the age of 95, with her loving family by her side.

Born in Aintab, Turkey, on May 18, 1920, Haiganoush was one of six children to Manouel and Anita (Adanalian) Rakoubian. She graduated from Gurtaseeratz School, an Armenian day school, in Aleppo, Syria. She married the late Magar Magarian on Oct. 23, 1939. She owned and operated a fabric wholesaler in Beirut, Lebanon, for 20 years.

Haiganoush dedicated her time, talent, and treasure to the Armenian community all her life. She was a member of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) for 65 years, served on the executive board of her church parish ladies’ guild, and loved to sing in the choir. While she lived modestly in her later years, she continued to support various organizations, specifically those that aided women and orphans. A proud and ardent champion of her Armenian heritage, she was well read on all things Armenian. She eagerly anticipated the delivery of her weekly “Nor Gyank,” “Nor Or,” and “Hairenik” newspapers, and had read all the books on her bookcase at least half a dozen times; one of her favorite authors was Raffi.

Haiganoush was 65 years old when she moved to the United States from war-torn Beirut, but she didn’t let her age stop her. Upon arriving to Connecticut, she studied and graduated from an English-language program and took French classes. Haiganoush was an avid crafter who knew how to knit, crochet, sew, and do needlework. She made countless sweaters and clothing for her children and grandchildren through the years, as well as amazing doilies, which were put on display at the Fairfield Public Library. She also greatly enjoyed painting in watercolor in her spare time.

Haiganoush Magarian is survived by her two children, Levon and his wife Angela Magarian of New York City, and Sonia and her husband Arthur Gulbenk of Fairfield. She is also survived by her three grandchildren, Marcus Magarian, Ani Gulbenk, Raffi Gulbenk, and his fiancé Kariné Poghosyan, and her beloved niece and nephew Hripsimé Plavdjian and Manouel Rakoubian and their families. She also has many nieces and nephews in countries around the world. She was predeceased by her husband in 1989.

The wake service will be held at the Armenian Church of the Holy Ascension (1460 Huntington Turnpike, Trumbull, Conn.) on Fri., Feb. 19 at 7 p.m., with the viewing from 5-7 p.m. The funeral services will be held on Sat., Feb. 20 at 10:30 a.m. at the Armenian Church of the Holy Ascension. She will be buried at St. Thomas Cemetery in Fairfield.

The family requests that memorial donations be made in her honor to the Armenian Relief Society to help rebuild the Soseh Kindergarten in Artsakh (Karabagh) and to the Armenian Church of the Holy Ascension, in lieu of flowers.