Serving Bread

My grandfather, Armen Kouyoumdjian, passed away last week. We affectionately called him Obaba. He was born July 21,1921 in Fallujah, Iraq, was the youngest son of Khosrof and Sara Kouyoumdjian. His family immigrated from Caesaria, Turkey in the 1800s and  settled in Falluja, Iraq where Armen spent his childhood and most of his adult life, along with his siblings Diran, Sonya and Makrouhi. After graduating from high school, he worked as a farmer in his family’s cotton plantations in Fallujah and then moved to Baghdad and started a contracting company. He married his childhood sweetheart, Aida Ekmekjian in 1944. Together they formed their family and reared their four daughters.

Armen and Aida lived in Baghdad until 1979, then moved to Beirut, Lebanon. In 1986, they moved to the United States where he lived with his wife until her death in 2008. Armen was an avid gardener, enjoyed walking 5 miles twice a day, and loved animals, especially birds. He was always loved and respected by his friends, and his house was always open to all. He enjoyed playing cards, discussing politics, playing tawle, and sneaking chocolate to grandchildren and great-grandchildren (to their parents’ chagrin).

He is survived by four daughters, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.