Mary Ouzghoushian Vartanian, Armenian Genocide Survivor, Dies at 111
Mary Ouzghoushian Vartanian, one of the last Armenian Genocide survivors, dies at 111
Mary Ouzghoushian Vartanian, one of the last surviving Armenian Genocide witnesses, died at age 111. Born in Ainteb, she was forced to flee with her family at age 8 during the 1915 genocide, eventually settling in Aleppo, Syria. There she married violinist and composer Hovannes Vartanian and raised six children. After her husband's death, she immigrated to the United States in 1972, settling in Watertown, Massachusetts, where she remained for 45 years. Active in her community, Vartanian was involved with Saint James Armenian Church, the AGBU Ladies Guild, and continued traveling internationally well into her 90s. In April 2024, the Massachusetts House and Senate honored her with a resolution commending her contributions to the Armenian-American community. She spent her final years at the Armenian Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
