Labors of Love
How Carla Stamboulian’s volunteer experiences in Armenia led her to move there
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Timeless Values
Arlene Mihertadian Aramian
Aramian’s altruistic spirit extended throughout the greater Detroit Armenian community, lending a helping hand whenever and wherever needed.
Written for AGBU Impact Magazine 2022 by Chris Basmadjian.
Raised in a loving Christian home where the Armenian heritage was always present, Arlene Mihertadian Aramian was gifted with a strong foundation to stay close to God and her culture throughout life. Her two grandmothers passed on their excellent cooking skills to the next generations, and lots of other relatives taught them to feel joy when hearing and dancing to Armenian music at large family gatherings.
Her parents set an example of kindness, generosity, compassion, forgiveness and, most of all, love for one another. Aramian's childhood in Highland Park, Michigan, was spent with neighborhood friends and her younger siblings, George and Carole, and Aramian entered the workforce after graduating high school. One of her dear friends from St. John Armenian Church introduced her to Armen Aramian, a young gentleman from the nearby St. Vartan Armenian Catholic Church. A loving marriage blossomed for the next 43 years.
Aramian excelled at administrative work, and began as a secretary in the Ford Motor Company. Her supervisors recognized her talents and diligence, and promoted her continuously until her final career title of administrative assistant to a vice president. Admired by her superiors and coworkers alike, she took great pride in her work and retired after more than four decades of dedicated service.
Her husband’s death in 2002 brought Aramian great grief, but she continued to live her life with hope, courage, fulfillment, and companionship. She also carried on with her favorite activities: golfing, traveling, crafting, and spending time with friends and family.
Although they had no children of their own, she adored all her nieces and nephews, one of whom, Chris Basmadjian, recalls, “I’ll always remember Aunt Arlene’s light-hearted nature and will treasure the fond memories of summer pool parties that she and Uncle Armen hosted in their backyard.”
Aramian’s altruistic spirit extended throughout the greater Detroit Armenian community, lending a helping hand whenever and wherever needed. Following her retirement, she became active in civic organizations, notably the Armenian Renaissance Association, where she helped raise funds for college scholarships awarded to deserving Armenian students.
Aramian passed away in 2021, after a valiant battle with cancer. Thanks to her generosity, the AGBU Arlene A. Aramian Memorial Endowment was established to support the organization’s areas of greatest need. When asked why her sister would choose AGBU, Carole Basmadjian says, “Our father would help anyone and our mother was very gracious. Generosity was learned at home. I believe it was a way for Arlene to continue supporting the good works carried out in the Armenian community and help those less fortunate than ourselves. Her gift was a way to place value on our Armenian heritage.”
This article was featured in the 2022 release of AGBU Impact Magazine. For more information on the AGBU donations, click here.
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Սեպտեմբեր 12, 2022
