Raisa Romakhina Abazajian

Raisa Romakhina was born in Pokrov, Russia on June 11, 1942. She attended the prestigious Institution for Chemical Technology in Moscow where she met her future husband of 64 years, Nazar Abazajian. In 1962, they married and had their first son, Armen. The Abazajians lived in Yerevan where Raisa and Nazar worked as chemical engineers from 1965 to 1979, and their son Kevork was born. They started a new life in Houston by way of Little Rock and eventually welcomed four grandchildren, Katerina, Nicolas, Karine, and Julian. Raisa's grandchildren remember her as a cunning card player, lover of opera and orchestra, fashion icon, and dessert connoisseur. She was a prolific self-taught artist, with over 50 of her own needlework pieces decorating her home. She was an avid reader with a nightstand always stacked with books. She deeply loved being a grandmother, and was a constant supporter of her grandchildrens' education. She enjoyed her retirement, spending time with friends in various cross-stitching groups. She also loved to travel, whether by car, plane, or boat, and almost always with her dearly beloved Nazar. They visited all 50 states and over 20 countries together. She was proud to be Russian, but part of her heart stayed in Armenia. On her final adventure to Yerevan, Raisa spent a beautiful day revisiting special places and memories with her youngest son, Kevork. She will be dearly missed.