Elinor Grace Potikian

June 22, 2013

Elinor Potikian passed away suddenly after a mercifully brief illness.

In addition to being a homemaker, she was also a remarkably gifted vocalist and pianist, and possessed an incredible collection of recordings that encompassed a wide variety of musical genres.

She was born in Tucson, Arizona where her father Armenag taught mathematics at the University of Arizona. Elinor grew up on a farm in Parlier, Ca. with her mother and younger brother Edward.

After attending San Jose State University and earning a teaching credential, she met and married dentist Dr. William Jack Potikian, with whom she had two daughters, Melody and Jacinda. They were married for forty-two years until William's death in 1994.

In addition to her aforementioned husband and father, Elinor was predeceased by her mother Zelma Shaw of Kingsburg, Ca., and most recently, her first cousin, Gilbert Rudy.

Elinor is survived by her daughters Jacinda and Melody Potikian, both of Fresno; her brother Dr. Edward A. Shaw and his wife DeeAnn of Laguna Beach, Ca; her nieces, Leslie and her husband Marshall Siegsmund, and their sons Mitchell and Grant, of Del Mar, Ca; and Andrea and her husband Jonathan Rogers of Glendale, Ca.; first cousin Elaine and her husband Gary Simonian, their daughter Sara Lynn and her husband Wayne Koligian, and their sons Greg and his wife Jeanne, Peter and his wife Patricia, and Matthew and his wife Valerie; Aunt Alene Rudy of Castro Valley, Ca., and her sons, Steve and his wife Teri and their daughter Stephanie and Byron and his wife Leslie.

Visitation will be held at Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Home on Friday, June 28, 2013 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., and

Saturday, June 29, 2013 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Home on Saturday, June 29, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. Interment to follow at Ararat Cemetery.