WATERTOWN — Siran Salibian, the decades-long Activity Director of the Armenian Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, passed away peacefully on June 28, 2025 in Irvine, California, with her beloved children, Garo and Rita, by her side. She was 90 years old.
Siran was born on November 17, 1934 in Damascus, Syria, to Armenag and Vera Mahdessian. She grew up with two brothers, Avedis and Ghevont, and an older sister, Elmast.
A compassionate and dedicated lifelong caretaker, Siran began her career as a young nurse in the pediatric polio unit at the American University Hospital of Beirut (AUHB), tenderly caring for infants suffering from the dreaded infectious disease.
In April 1958, she married Neshan Salibian. Together, they built a peaceful and simple life grounded in unconditional love and mutual respect. In their humble home in Bourj Hammoud, they enjoyed summer nights on the balcony, reflecting on their day and taking in the sights and sounds of the neighborhood below. On Sundays, they would explore the countryside or treat their children with an outing to Jounieh for ice cream…the ones with bubble gum at the bottom of the cone. They would return home for a traditional hearty dinner around their kitchen table.
Their love story was cut short by his untimely death after 16 years of marriage. A resilient woman, Siran found strength in her grief to carry on for her children. She continued to sacrifice precious time with them to provide round-the-clock care for her helpless young patients at AUHB. A back injury forced her to take a desk job as a phone operator at the hospital.
When the Lebanese Civil War broke out in 1975, Siran was stranded at work for a year. Her children, who were staying with family in Antelias at the time, would call the hospital each day, hoping their mother would be the voice that answered.
