Hrachik "Ricki" Bostwick

Born Hrachik Ghazikanian in Isfahan, Iran on Sept 4, 1931, she was the daughter of Armenian parents, father Haik Ghazikhanian and mother Sandookht (Tatevosian). Her father was head of transportation for the British-Iranian Oil Company in the oil fields of central Iran.

When Mrs. Bostwick was 18 she was sent by her parents to train as a nurse at War Memorial Hospital in North Wales, U.K. After graduation, she went to London, England where she trained to become a state certified mid-wife and then began a maternity career. She returned home to Iran two years later to the Oil Company's hospital where she became head surgical nurse.

Curious to see the United States, “Ricki,” as she became known to her co-workers at War Memorial Hospital, immigrated to Philadelphia, PA in 1957 at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital on a nursing exchange program and became a Registered Nurse. While working as head maternity nurse at Rancocas Valley Hospital in New Jersey, she met John Bostwick and they were married in 1962 in Philadelphia.

Mr. Bostwick’s employer at that time, Master Builders, Inc., transferred the family to Harrisburg, PA where they lived with their daughter, Carolyn, and where their sons, John, Jr. and Thomas were born. In 1967 they again made a company move to Baltimore, settling in Lutherville. In 1969 they built their current home in Cockeysville, where they have lived ever since.

While raising a young family, Mrs. Bostwick always loved looking at houses and the “wheeling and dealing” of buying and selling real estate. When she decided to re-enter the work force, she left the nursing profession to become a licensed real estate agent with Grempler Realty in Towson. She had a very successful real estate career during the 1970’s and early 80’s. Mrs. Bostwick was regularly a million-dollar producer for Grempler, hitting a high-water mark beginning in 1973 as a two-million dollar seller of real estate. She was truly beloved by her clients and admired for her tenacity and drive by her colleagues. Nonetheless, the demands of a growing family business, ServiceMaster of Baltimore – a disaster restoration company, shifted her focus to assist and run the office side of the business.

The success of the business allowed Mrs. Bostwick and her husband John to retire fully in 2000, turning the business over to John, Jr. and Carolyn, who now successfully operate the business that was founded and nurtured by their parents. Mrs. Bostwick always loved dancing and enjoyed musicals and Broadway shows. She also enjoyed spending time on the water, and she and her husband enjoyed leisure time on their sailboat on Middle River and the Chesapeake Bay – the boat was of course named “Ricki.” Mr. and Mrs. Bostwick traveled frequently throughout the country and the world in their later years, and also resided part time at their home in Ft. Myers, FL.

Mrs. Bostwick was completely devoted to her family and always felt one of her greatest accomplishments and her lasting legacy was that her family was very close, and that her children stayed in the Timonium-Cockeysville area to live and raise their own families.

She is survived by her husband John, daughter Carolyn of Timonium, son John, Jr. (and his wife Kim) of Cockeysville, and son, Tom, a local attorney in Towson (and his wife Janet), of Timonium, grandchildren Kate (and her husband Kevin), Amanda, Drew, Hannah, and Kelly, and one great-grandchild Emma. She is also survived by sisters Alice and Seda. The family is very appreciative of the support and well-wishes of friends and colleagues. At her request, funeral services are private.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Ricki's name to St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church, 4125 Fessenden St, NW, Washington, DC 20016, and/or the Armenian General Benevolent Union, 55 East 59th St., New York, NY 10022.