In Memory of Virginia Jane Najarian

Virginia Jane (Topalian) Najarian of Waltham passed peacefully on March 14, 2024 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was the beloved wife of Berj Najarian, devoted mother of Nancy Fournier and her husband Jeffery, Armen Najarian and his wife Naya and Jason Najarian and his wife Teryn.

The cherished grandmother of Patricia, Luke, Noelle, Tate, Emery, Bree, Troy, Logan, Elena and Delilah and loving sister of Irene (Topalian) Hicks and her husband Michael and the late Paul Topalian and his wife Solinu’u, she is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews and cousins.

Anyone who had the privilege of knowing Virginia knows that she was a vibrant, colorful, fun-loving woman who had an unquenchable thirst for life. She loved her family and was a woman of faith. She was born in Dorchester, MA on October 28, 1943. After graduating from Belmont High School, she attended Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School. Virginia met the love of her life, Berj, in 1964. They married three months later on October 12 and spent 59 wonderful years together residing in Waltham. Virginia was no stranger to hard work. Over the years, she was employed at the Massachusetts Medical Society, Regis College and Waltham and Weston Public Schools. She also taught preschool at Piper Preschool and was a licensed real estate agent and broker.

Virginia loved to read and cook, which was her specialty – she could make a delicious meal out of anything. She also loved to entertain friends and travel the world with her husband. Her favorite pastime and home away from home was in West Yarmouth on Cape Cod. She had a natural ability to get to know anyone she met, and a gift for being able to see the best in everyone, no matter the circumstances. Virginia lived a wonderful life and left her mark on the world with everything she did. She will be missed tremendously.

Funeral services were held at the First Armenian Church of Belmont. Interment at Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Dana Faber Cancer Institute in memory of Virginia Najarian to support cancer research and patient care at: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284, or via dana-farber.org/gift or to the First Armenian Church, 380 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA 02478.