Editorials
Reconsidering Proximity
Tom Vartabedian was a longtime columnist of the Armenian Weekly, who, in many ways, embodied the spirit of this almost century-old newspaper. For 46 years, from 1970 up until the day he died in 2016, he authored a weekly column called “Poor Tom’s Almanac.” Many of our readers grew up reading his column.
"Poor Tom's Almanac" started as an effort to “introduce some levity into the serious and often stoic world of journalism.” He was committed to the idea that real messages could rea
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Tom’s legacy, to me, is the way he encouraged and supported people. Now that he is no longer with us, I need to follow his example.
We miss you, Tom.
Thank you for this initiative in Tom’s name. I enjoyed his work. Glad to hear we will once again benefit from new, fresh, and talented writers.
Working with Tom on a wide range of committees from our local ARF Gomideh to the Armenian Genocide Education Committee – Tom was a tremendous inspiration, a fireball of enthusiasm, and a source of positive energy. He ever warm smile and passion was contagious, always looking to make the best of every situation. While he is so sorely missed, we shall always cherish his legacy.
Tom Vartabedian was dedicated to his task, but also a humanist. He had a royal list of predecessor mentors including: James Mandalian, James Tashjian and John Baronian. May he rest in peace. May his family be comforted by our shared love. Armen K. Boyajian
I remember taking photos in Providence at the AYF Olympics. We compared camera’s and settings, lenses and the number of photos we had captured after every event… He got a kick out of watching me run from event to event. “A Rookie” he called me. Little did he know I was running around, only to catch up to him… Thanks Uncle Tom! Loved and respected by all!
My wife and I have shared many memorable events and served on many committees with Tom and Nancy as we both lived in the same community, Merrimack Valley. He is missed but as he wrote, his legacy will live on.