Two years have already passed since the somber days that forever deprived the Armenian-American community from the cherished presence of a remarkable couple, Takouhi and Albert Bagian, whose impact on our Philadelphia community, and particularly on the Armenian Relief Society (ARS), will be long evoked with feelings of nostalgia and a deep sense of gratitude and loss.
Albert Begian at ARS Convention, receiving Agnouni Award recipient
A devoted member of the ARS “Artemis” Chapter for over six decades, Takouhi—or Queenie to all who knew and loved her—along with her equally dedicated spouse, Albert left behind a legacy of devoted care, concern, and empathy for all things Armenian, of protecting and promoting the time-tested values that preserve and enhance our ancient yet unique traditions and culture.
Some will remember Queenie as a loyal HOM-ouhi with a meticulous and perfectionist nature, who pledged her time and resources to serve the ARS (or HOM, in Armenian) and the efficient implementation of its vast local, regional, and global humanitarian programs. Others—neighbors, acquaintances, and friends, both Armenian and odar—will recall the smiling, beautiful face of this petite, gregarious brunette, who had a kind and attentive word for everyone.
Ungerouhi Queenie and Unger Al belonged to that first generation of American-born Armenians who had their roots in Western Armenia via their parents—who, leaving Turkish atrocities behind, had found refuge in the United States. They were part of a generation whose hard-earned yet steady and generous contributions helped build and maintain local and overseas Armenian communities still struggling to shake the nightmarish trauma of the very first genocide of the 20th century and to rebuild their shattered lives under friendlier skies.
One of three siblings, Takouhi grew up in Philadelphia with her brother and sister in a working class family, and experienced the hard times of the Great Depression that came soon after World War I. Like most of the children in the community, she attended Saturday School, where she learned to read and write Armenian.
Albert and Queenie Bagian
Early on, Queenie demonstrated a distinct passion for music, fine arts, and the theater; sadly, family circumstances and hard times wouldn’t allow her to pursue formal schooling in the fields that excited her, including advanced Armenian education. However, true to character, Queenie’s native zest and optimism helped her to make the most of whatever life had to offer, ultimately leading her—through her early membership in the Armenian Relief Society—to become an active participant and devoted patron of cultural, academic, and humanitarian endeavors that characterize ARS programs worldwide.
Queenie’s lifelong spouse, Albert Bagian, a staunch Dashnaktsakan and equally dedicated patron of Armenian culture and welfare, was one of five children that included two brothers and two sisters. Brought up in an Armenian-speaking household, Al was fluent in his maternal tongue. He attended Drexel University, studying mechanical engineering at night while running his own business during the day, dealing in machinery for the textile industry.
Within the scope of their multifaceted involvement in Armenian-American community life, the Bagian couple served for many years as active members of the Armenian National Education Committee (ANEC), a joint project of the Armenian Relief Society and the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Eastern United States. Within the same arena of Armenian education on foreign shores, Albert, along with other past benefactors, such as Yervant and Helen Terzian, demonstrated a lifelong dedication to the Armenian Sisters’ Academy in Philadelphia.
Needless to say, the Bagians will always be remembered for their generous moral and financial contributions to the ARS. Queenie’s nearly 70 years of service in the ranks of the ARS “Artemis” Chapter—from 1943 to the day of her passing in 2012—were marked by her active involvement as the chapter’s chairperson and as a member of the Regional and Central Executive Boards. In 1970, Queenie founded the ARS Junior Auxiliary, comprised of young college students who supported the ARS Summer Studies Program (currently the Youth
Connect Program). Alongside her administrative duties, as a full-time volunteer at the Haigazian School of Philadelphia, this remarkable HOM-ouhi organized and promoted theatrical productions, concerts, and other cultural programs, inspired by her lifelong love of Armenian music and poetry.
Before he passed away in 2011, Unger Albert, a lifelong Hai Tahd activist, in addition to being an ARF and ARS member—and serving as liaison to the ARS Regional Board—was also past chair of the Central Committee of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation of Eastern USA.
Over the years, among many other contributions, the Bagians donated $50,000 to the creation of the ARS “Mother & Child” Health and Birthing Center in Akhourian, Armenia, an outstanding gynecological/pediatric establishment that has helped reduce the infant mortality rate in the region with its state-of-the-art technology and modern facilities, and its compassionate, professionally trained staff.
Reminiscing with affection, Angele Manoogian, another longtime ARS Ungerouhi currently serving as a member of the Central Committee of the ARF Eastern Region, referred to the Bagians as, above all, truly committed benefactors: “With the wealth they had,” she said, “they could just as well have enjoyed a much higher standard of living, but they preferred to leave the bulk of their wealth to the Armenian nation. They were truly guardian angels, devoted to the ideals and ongoing mission of the ARS,” she said. While the Bagians donated to all Armenian organizations and causes, Manougian added, their unshakeable trust and deep love for the ARS, in particular, was what set them apart in their six decades of consistent involvement in all aspects of community life.
“Ungerouhi Queenie took care of the ‘Artemis’ Chapter as she would have taken care of her own child,” she continued, “She always made sure young people joined the ARS. The chapter has Ungerouhis who were trained by her, and they’re in their 50s now,” she concluded.
As recognition for their lifelong service to the ARS and its worldwide efforts, the Bagians received the prestigious ARS “Agnouni” Award, named after the organization’s founder.
Caroline Chamavonian, a 30-year member of the “Artemis” Chapter, and presently a member of the ARS Central Executive Board, remembers Queenie as a leader who never ceased to take her under her wing, to teach her “the ARS ropes,” so to speak. “Every time she called me, she related ARS stories at length—conventions, projects, programs.”
“Although her life revolved around the ARS,” Chamavonian noted, Queenie was also part of the Ladies’ Guild and sang in the choir at St. Gregory the Illuminator’s Church in Philadelphia. “She was very talented as the organist of the church, as well,” Chamavonian said. “And both Ungerouhi Queenie and Unger Albert gave of their time to the Armenian Cause, no questions asked.”
Chamavonian remembers Queenie as a perfectionist in everything she set out to do, with no stone left unturned to make an event or program successful. She recalls one particular ARS of Philadelphia chapter anniversary celebration, when they were working in the kitchen, cutting bread and taking it out in baskets to be set on the tables.
Chamavonian had started to take a basket out, when she was abruptly stopped by Queenie and told to take the bread out and face it right-side up. “She had to have it perfect! Everything she did was special. A couple of years ago I was in the kitchen and stopped a young person that did the same thing, and I thought to myself, ‘I’ve turned into Queenie!’” Chamavonian said.
Tom Vartabedian, the popular, longtime Armenian Weekly columnist, in a 2008 article quoted Albert as saying, “I believe in everything this organization does in terms of charity, education, and public service. I’ll be celebrating its Centennial in 2010 with extreme elation…”
Queenie and Al, our beloved Bagian couple, may no longer be with us physically, but their legacy is very much alive in the ARS Eastern Region ranks. Their incredible generosity as benefactors, and genuine humility as devoted workers, remain as pristine models to be emulated by generations to come.
–The Armenian Relief Society of Eastern USA
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