Obituary: Sonia Bogosian (1922-2010)

PARAMUS, N.J.—Sonia Esther Bogosian passed away on Oct. 20 in New Jersey. Born in Aleppo, Syria on Jan. 7, 1922 to Dr. Khatchig and Astrid Boghossian, Sonia was a strong and independent woman from a very young age. With her pioneering spirit—which led her to advance herself in a society where women were not usually given the opportunity to pursue education, much less a career—Sonia left Aleppo for Beirut, Lebanon, and enrolled herself at the American University of Beirut Nursing School, where she received her R.N. degree.

In 1956, after earning her degree, she followed her brother Edward, founder and editor of the Armenian Reporter, to the U.S., enrolling in Columbia University in New York to earn a master’s degree in nursing.

In her chosen profession of nursing, compassion for others was her daily occupation. She was the director of nursing at Flower and Fifth Avenue Hospital for several years, and later went on to be the director of nursing at Dewitt Nursing Home in New York City for over 30 years.

At the same time, she pursued an active life in the Armenian community, becoming a pillar of the AGBU and the Diocese, and lending her strong support to the Armenian Assembly, the Armenian Tree Project, the church, and countless charitable and cultural endeavors. She had a special place in her heart for the arts and was a prominent figure in the Armenian community.

After the 1988 earthquake in Armenia, Sonia took a hiatus from her job and went to her homeland to work as a nurse at a hospital in the earthquake zone for over three months. Her compassion and patriotism drove her to leave the comforts of her life in America behind to assist her people when they needed it most.

Sonia traveled to every corner of the world, and was an extremely cultured woman. Although she never married, she had a large extended family that adored her and she became a second mother to all of her nieces and nephew, as well as her grandnieces and nephew, and great-grandnieces and nephews. She was truly the matriarch of the Boghossian family.

Sonia is survived by her sister Fimi Schulze, sister-in-law Arlene Boghossian, nieces Astrid Bogosian, Sonia-Monique Decker, Sonia Kesaian, Sylvie Schulze, Sylva Boghossian, nephew Ernest Schulze, great-grandnieces Lara Sanders, Louisa Willet, Deana Atenian, Seda-Marie Kesaian, and great-grandnephews Campell and Ariso. Her brothers Garbis Bogosian and Edward K. Boghossian predeceased her.

The family is requesting that donations in her memory be made to either the Armenian American Wellness Center or the Armenian Tree Project.

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