Solakian, Barbara (Haroian), 81, of Weston, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully at her home on June 13, 2020. She was the beloved wife of John Solakian. She was a devoted mother to Mark Solakian and his wife Christine; and Stephanie Solakian Goldstein and her husband Randall. Barbara was blessed with four grandchildren: Catherine, Caroline, Andrew and William. She was a loving sister to Susan Dupont and her husband Jacques; and Marcia Smith and her partner Peter Simon. She was a gracious aunt to Matthew Dupont, Jonathan Smith and Heather Smith.
Barbara was born on November 22, 1938 in Medford, Massachusetts to the late Nishan and Elizabeth (Demerjian) Haroian. She grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts and was a graduate of Lexington High School. In 1960, she graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors from Tufts University, where she majored in French and minored in Italian. Following her college graduation, she worked for many years as the assistant to the House Master of Leverett House, Harvard University.
In 1962, Barbara married John Solakian of Watertown, Massachusetts. Barbara made her family and home her number one priority, as those were her greatest pride in life. As her children were growing up, Barbara became intimately involved with their schools and gave generously of her time as a volunteer, serving through the years on various parents’ committees and boards of trustees. Barbara was a member of the Board of Directors for Concord Family Services and also cherished her time as a member of the Ladies Committee at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. In addition, Barbara was dedicated to serving her First Armenian Church family, where she and her family have been members for decades. She led the church’s Fellowship Hour for a number of years and had a leading role on the church’s sanctuary restoration committee. Barbara was a humble, yet impactful leader. She was tireless and accomplished everything she set out to do with grace and elegance.
Barbara lived her life by setting positive examples for her family and friends every single day. She loved to entertain and bring family and friends together. Barbara was always quick to show her love for the people in her life who were experiencing their own challenges. She was always there with a home-cooked meal or her famous blueberry muffins or scones. She gave so much of herself to others and always did the right thing, never with a second thought, and always with a smile.
Even as Barbara faced a surprise illness, she would describe the disease as a blessing, because without the diagnosis, she would not have had the opportunity to welcome so many new and special people, caregivers and friends alike, into her life. Barbara’s positive mindset and willingness to explore new ways to manage the disease equipped her with profound strength to coexist with the illness. Cancer was never a battle or fight, because such words were never part of her vocabulary when it came to how Barbara lived her life. Barbara will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
For the health and safety of Barbara’s family and friends, funeral services and interment at Linwood Cemetery in Weston, Massachusetts are private. A celebration of Barbara’s life will be planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers, please kindly consider donations in Barbara’s memory to the First Armenian Church of Belmont, 380 Concord Avenue, Belmont, Massachusetts 02478.
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