Obituary for Isabelle "Zabelle" Gdanian (Kludjian)
LATHAM - Isabelle (Zabelle) Gdanian passed away at the age of 93 on March 7, 2020 surrounded by her loving family.
Born in Lowell, Massachusetts on June 28, 1926, she was the daughter of the late Khoren and Ovsanna Kludjian. Following her graduation from Lowell High School, she joined First Federal Savings and Loan where her career in banking started. She attended St. Vartanantz Armenian Church of Lowell, MA. She sang in the church choir, was a member of the Armenian Church Youth Organization and was a participant of the Armenian choral group. Mrs. Gdanian was a past chairman of the local chapter of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, a worldwide charitable organization serving the Armenian people.
In 1952, she married Rev. Garen Gdanian, pastor of St. Vartanantz Armenian Church.
She played an active role as supervisor of the church Sunday school and formed a Parent-Teachers Association to support its activities.
In 1957, her husband was transferred to St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in New York City. Having a great love for teaching, she assumed the duties as the superintendent of the church school. She also formed a Parent-Teacher Association who would take upon supporting the school both actively and financially. While in New York, she worked at Lincoln Savings Bank, Sunnyside, N.Y. On occasion, aside from her banking duties, she served as an Armenian interpreter for the Rumanian Armenian immigrants who settled in Sunnyside in or about 1967 through 1970.
1970 took her and her family to Watervliet, N.Y., where her husband accepted the pastorate at St. Peter Armenian Church. Her activities were many. She joined the Mr. & Mrs. Club and the Women’s Guild, whose many functions supported the church financially. Bible study was held in her home and she taught and supervised church school.
Mrs. Gdanian was one of the first charter members of St. Peter’s Adult Fellowship, formerly St. Peter’s Armenian Seniors, which was formed in September of 1994. It was a very active organization and a second home to many of the seniors of the parish.
Since 1971, she has been a member of the Daughters of Vartan, a charitable organization serving the Armenian people worldwide. She joined Fidelity Bank, which is now J.P. Morgan Chase Bank. In 1973, she was named Head Teller. She was promoted to a Training Coordinator at which time she developed a formalized Teller Training and Customer Service Manual and Program. She had full responsibility for its operation with additional duties in branch administration. Being a member of the American Institute of Banking, she took classes in retail banking which was pertinent to the teaching aspect of her job. In 1980, she was appointed Assistant Manager as an officer of the bank. She retired from banking in 1987.
Her passion for the theater began when she was a child. She spent her leisure hours writing and performing for relatives and friends. In later years, she took part in many plays and musicals, both in the Armenian and English circles. During her years supervising and teaching Sunday school, she presented many plays that were based on bible stories. She considered this a great tool in teaching the young children and giving them the opportunity to experience being there, “living in religious history.”
She also wrote and directed plays for the "thespians" of St. Peter Women’s Guild: The Golden Girls, A Pantomime-Superwoman, A Day in the Lives of the Golden Girls, A Pantomime-Seniors and Sports and A Trip to the Dentist.
Mrs. Gdanian was a patron of the local arts. She enjoyed and attended many plays, musicals, concerts and the opera. Opera was her favorite form of entertainment.
During her retirement years from 1993 to 1998, she accompanied her husband to Florida during the winter months serving three mission churches. Thereafter, she continued to join him whenever he was called upon to serve as a visiting pastor.
She was the devoted wife of the late Rev. Garen Gdanian to whom she was married for 61 years, when he passed in 2013; loving mother of Arpy (Rick Carson) Ernest of NY., Kyn (Maureen) Gdanian of NH and Garyn (Brian) A’Hearn of NY; dear grandmother of Katrina(Chris) Mayba, Lucy (Gregg) Stoyles, and Naomi (Dan) McCormack, Josiah (Chelsea) and Gregory Gdanian; great grandmother of Nina and Alana Mayba, Isobel and Caidman Stoyles, and Eden, Ivey and River Gdanian. Sister of Arpy Kludjian. She is also survived by many cousins, nieces and nephews. Sadly, in addition to her husband and parents, she was predeceased by her dear granddaughter Anna Christa Gdanian, her sister Beatrice Watson, her brother Zareh Kludjian and her brother-in-law Hratch Kludjian.
Calling hours will be Wednesday, March 11, 2020 from 4 until 7pm at St. Peter Armenian Church, 100 Troy Schenectady Road, Watervliet, NY.
Funeral services will be on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 10 am at St. Peter Armenian Church, 100 Troy Schenectady Road, Watervliet, NY. Interment will follow in Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands NY.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Peter Armenian Church Building Fund, 100 Troy Schenectady Road, Watervliet, New York.
Born in Lowell, Massachusetts on June 28, 1926, she was the daughter of the late Khoren and Ovsanna Kludjian. Following her graduation from Lowell High School, she joined First Federal Savings and Loan where her career in banking started. She attended St. Vartanantz Armenian Church of Lowell, MA. She sang in the church choir, was a member of the Armenian Church Youth Organization and was a participant of the Armenian choral group. Mrs. Gdanian was a past chairman of the local chapter of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, a worldwide charitable organization serving the Armenian people.
In 1952, she married Rev. Garen Gdanian, pastor of St. Vartanantz Armenian Church.
She played an active role as supervisor of the church Sunday school and formed a Parent-Teachers Association to support its activities.
In 1957, her husband was transferred to St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in New York City. Having a great love for teaching, she assumed the duties as the superintendent of the church school. She also formed a Parent-Teacher Association who would take upon supporting the school both actively and financially. While in New York, she worked at Lincoln Savings Bank, Sunnyside, N.Y. On occasion, aside from her banking duties, she served as an Armenian interpreter for the Rumanian Armenian immigrants who settled in Sunnyside in or about 1967 through 1970.
1970 took her and her family to Watervliet, N.Y., where her husband accepted the pastorate at St. Peter Armenian Church. Her activities were many. She joined the Mr. & Mrs. Club and the Women’s Guild, whose many functions supported the church financially. Bible study was held in her home and she taught and supervised church school.
Mrs. Gdanian was one of the first charter members of St. Peter’s Adult Fellowship, formerly St. Peter’s Armenian Seniors, which was formed in September of 1994. It was a very active organization and a second home to many of the seniors of the parish.
Since 1971, she has been a member of the Daughters of Vartan, a charitable organization serving the Armenian people worldwide. She joined Fidelity Bank, which is now J.P. Morgan Chase Bank. In 1973, she was named Head Teller. She was promoted to a Training Coordinator at which time she developed a formalized Teller Training and Customer Service Manual and Program. She had full responsibility for its operation with additional duties in branch administration. Being a member of the American Institute of Banking, she took classes in retail banking which was pertinent to the teaching aspect of her job. In 1980, she was appointed Assistant Manager as an officer of the bank. She retired from banking in 1987.
Her passion for the theater began when she was a child. She spent her leisure hours writing and performing for relatives and friends. In later years, she took part in many plays and musicals, both in the Armenian and English circles. During her years supervising and teaching Sunday school, she presented many plays that were based on bible stories. She considered this a great tool in teaching the young children and giving them the opportunity to experience being there, “living in religious history.”
She also wrote and directed plays for the "thespians" of St. Peter Women’s Guild: The Golden Girls, A Pantomime-Superwoman, A Day in the Lives of the Golden Girls, A Pantomime-Seniors and Sports and A Trip to the Dentist.
Mrs. Gdanian was a patron of the local arts. She enjoyed and attended many plays, musicals, concerts and the opera. Opera was her favorite form of entertainment.
During her retirement years from 1993 to 1998, she accompanied her husband to Florida during the winter months serving three mission churches. Thereafter, she continued to join him whenever he was called upon to serve as a visiting pastor.
She was the devoted wife of the late Rev. Garen Gdanian to whom she was married for 61 years, when he passed in 2013; loving mother of Arpy (Rick Carson) Ernest of NY., Kyn (Maureen) Gdanian of NH and Garyn (Brian) A’Hearn of NY; dear grandmother of Katrina(Chris) Mayba, Lucy (Gregg) Stoyles, and Naomi (Dan) McCormack, Josiah (Chelsea) and Gregory Gdanian; great grandmother of Nina and Alana Mayba, Isobel and Caidman Stoyles, and Eden, Ivey and River Gdanian. Sister of Arpy Kludjian. She is also survived by many cousins, nieces and nephews. Sadly, in addition to her husband and parents, she was predeceased by her dear granddaughter Anna Christa Gdanian, her sister Beatrice Watson, her brother Zareh Kludjian and her brother-in-law Hratch Kludjian.
Calling hours will be Wednesday, March 11, 2020 from 4 until 7pm at St. Peter Armenian Church, 100 Troy Schenectady Road, Watervliet, NY.
Funeral services will be on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 10 am at St. Peter Armenian Church, 100 Troy Schenectady Road, Watervliet, NY. Interment will follow in Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands NY.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Peter Armenian Church Building Fund, 100 Troy Schenectady Road, Watervliet, New York.