Seville Roby Tashjian, 96, passed away peacefully on December 21 at the Broad Reach senior living community in Chatham, Massachusetts, surrounded by her family. A long time resident of Wilmington, DE, Seville was born in Sandy Spring, MD, to her parents Edgar and Elsie Roby. In 1943, she met the love of her life, Lee C Tashjian Sr, at the Stage Door Canteen in Washington DC. The two were married in 1944 and following Lee’s graduation from law school, moved to Wilmington where Lee served as a bank executive. Having studied at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, Seville was a gifted singer of church music with a regional reputation for her beautiful contralto voice. During the holiday seasons, she was much sought after for various performances of the Messiah and other significant works. Following their time in Delaware, Seville and family relocated to Ohio where she not only continued her singing career but also ran the Wood County regional blood bank of the American Red Cross. During this time, she and her husband became avid fans of Ohio State University football as their son, Lee Jr, and daughter, Gayle, both went to school there. A job transfer for Lee Sr returned her to the Washington DC area where Seville led the Montgomery County blood bank of the American Red Cross. Following the death of her husband, she returned to Ohio to live near her daughter’s family before eventually returning to Wilmington to reside near her son at Stonegates.
While Seville very much enjoyed her career with the Red Cross, she is best remembered as a loving, adoring and doting Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother with five grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Known to her grandchildren and great grandchildren as “Grammy”, she made the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas very special occasions in her home which featured a vast array of cakes, pies ginger cookies, and other holiday delights. They were also occasions that brought together her extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins, and it was not unusual to have twenty or more for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners all prepared by her. Seville dearly loved her family and took great pride in the accomplishments of all. Her grandchildren routinely returned her affections with regular calls to Grammy which always uplifted and brightened her day.
On a personal basis, Seville was known as a woman of grace and elegance with a keen interest in fashion as well as the arts, particularly opera. She could effortlessly discuss the plots of operas and the vocal qualities of many of the world’s notable performers. She was also known to friends and family for her thoughtful and often compelling insights into politics and world events. As a lifelong Christian, having come from an extended family of Methodist ministers, her views were grounded in her beliefs and commitment to high standards of moral and ethical conduct.
Seville is survived by her son, Lee Jr (Victoria), of Yarmouth Port, MA, her daughter, Gayle Parseghian (Thomas), of Big Sky, MT; sister-in-law Dorothy Roby of Scottsdale, AZ; grandchildren Jared Parseghian, Nathan Parseghian, Amara Parseghian, Aaron Tashjian, and Rachel Tashjian; and five great grandchildren.
Her family wishes to thank the nurses and staff at Stonegates in Wilmington, Broad Reach skilled nursing in Chatham, MA, and Broad Reach Hospice for the exceptional care they provided to Seville during the final stages of her life. Services to celebrate her life will be private.
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