Obituary of Ann Janikian

Ann Janikian passed away peacefully, two weeks after her ninetieth birthday. Annie was born in Sofia Bulgaria on December 17 1931 to parents who were Armenian Genocide survivors from the Ottoman Empire and made a home in nearby Bulgaria. Despite the many hardships Ann experienced, she was one of the happiest and selfless people we have ever known. One of her earliest memories was playing in a park in Sofia in December 1941 when dozens of Allied bombers reigned death and destruction over newly Nazi occupied Bulgaria. As war raged, for the next 3 years her family moved to a nearby village and lived in a single dirt floor room which was previously occupied by farm animals. When Bulgaria was "liberated" by the Red Army she remembered Russian soldiers breaking into the family cellar and stealing all the food that was typically stored there for the winter. With her mother's encouragement for self sufficiency, she began attending a dress-making school when she was only 15 which became her life-long profession. In 1951 when she was only 19, Annie married Eram Janikian and they were quickly blessed with 2 sons Arsen and Joe. Life was hard in post-war, socialist Bulgaria. Coupons were still being issued for food and most other common items. With her mother's help, Annie made her own wedding dress with smuggled material imported from France. After 20 years of living in fear in Bulgaria, Ann and Eram were able to obtain exit visas to leave the country. Taking their two sons and leaving all their friends, relatives and possessions, they began a long and perilous nine month journey to the United States. Living in New York City and spending summers in the Catskill mountains mom's natural social skills began to shine. She was the life of every gathering. She prepared elaborate meals for 20, kept the conversation going and never ever seemed bothered by anything. She worked as a dress maker and assistant designer at Carol George Maternity in New York's garment district for more than 20 years. Carol George closed its doors about the same time as Ann was blessed with her first grand child. Now Medzmama, Ann jumped into the role of a baby sitter for her grand daughter Michelle and 2 years later grand son Nicholas. She cooked, cleaned and fussed over them several days a week enabling her daughter-in-law Kathleen to continue working. Retiring from the garment district did not slow down Ann's love for dress-making. She made dozens of dresses for her daughters-in law Frannie and Kathleen. Every Halloween costume and many clothes her grand children wore were custom made by "medzmama". She loved to grow flowers and vegetables, most of which wound up in her endless variety of meals. Ann continued to sew and tailor clothes for her family, friends and neighbors well into her eighties. Ann was loved and will be dearly missed by her son Arsen and his wife Frannie, her son Joe and his wife Kathleen, her grand children Michelle and Nicholas and their spouses Martin and Amira. Visitation will be Thursday, January 6 from 4-6pm at Edward D. Lynch Funeral Home, Inc, 43-07 Queens Boulevard, Sunnyside, NY with a Prayer Service at 6pm. Burial will be in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Flushing on Friday, January 7 with a Graveside Service at 11am.