Rose Simonian, 92 of Tucson, AZ passed away Saturday May 19th. She was born on Dec. 18, 1925 in Baghdad, Iraq to Dickran and Marian Anna Tchobanian. She was baptized in the Armenian Orthodox church and educated in the local Catholic girl’s school. She married Vartkes H. Simonian on February 6, 1944. They spent a short part of their early married life in Bagdad and then, after a year in London migrated to the United States. She spoke very little English at this time but quickly became part of her new country becoming a citizen after the designated amount of time and education in American Civics.
The first few years in the US were spent living in Boston, MA; Pittsburgh, PA; and Toledo, OH before they finally settled in Tucson in 1955.
Above all else she loved her family. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Vartkes Simonian. She is survived by three daughters, Beatrice (John) Mosher; Mary (Jim), Gillie and Betty (Tim) Alphin; five grandchildren Jay (Amber) Gillie; Yvonne (Jesse) Gomez, Kathy (Dave) Hiller; Becky (Alan) Harris and Lisa (Steve) Gillie; and 8 great grandchildren: Lexie, Hailey, Hunter, Jane, Abby, Nora and Rowan along with her sister, Annahid Tutelian, brother Hartyoun and sister-in-law Beverly Tchobanian and nieces and nephews.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona or to a charity of choice.
