Koudsy Mikaelian

Obituary: Koudsy Mikaelian

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PHILADELPHIA — Koudsy Mikaelian died on April 19, 2020. She was 89.

She was born in Aleppo, Syria, the daughter of Abraham and Makrouhi Basmajian. One of six siblings, she moved to Beirut, Lebanon, where she married her childhood sweetheart, Diran Mikaelian, in 1950.

She graduated from Beirut College for Women with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing.

In Beirut, Koudsy achieved recognition in the Armenian community, early on, through her volunteerism and literary works.

The family immigrated to the United States in 1970 and settled in the Philadelphia area. Koudsy enjoyed her life in Philadelphia, and was passionate about serving the Armenian community. She regularly attended services and organized events at St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Armenian Apostolic Church and St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church of Philadelphia.

Koudsy was a prolific writer in both Armenian and English. For many years, she regularly published articles in Baikar, an Armenian-language weekly based in Watertown, the Armenian Mirror-Spectator and the Armenian Reporter. She also wrote several books in both Armenian and English.

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In her later years, Koudsy began developing Alzheimer’s Disease. Her son, Viken, helped her move from Wynnewood, Penn., to a nursing facility in Valley Forge, Penn., where he visited her regularly. Some of her closest friends often visited her, too, especially Rose Bazarbashian.

She was an active member of the Philadelphia chapter of the Tekeyan Cultural Association, serving on the local group’s executive board.

In 2018, Viken and his sister, Tamar June, decided to move their mom to Reno, NV, where Tamar resides. This gave Tamar the opportunity to spend more quality time with her mother for the last two years of her life, when she passed at the age of 89.

Koudsy was a devoted mother and is survived by her son, Viken, and his wife, Olga; her daughter, Tamar June, and her partner Kevin Marlo; her brother, Vahan Basmajian and his wife, Sandra; her brother Vasken Basmajian, and his wife Shoghig; and numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband, Diran Mikaelian, MD.

 

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