Mary Safarian, nee, Ekizian, age 91, of Belleville, IL, born on September 19, 1928 in Racine, WI, died on Thursday, June 4, 2020.
As a young girl in Racine, Wisconsin, Mary volunteered for the Red Cross, loved to sing in the church choir and marched with the Drum and Bugle Corp. She met her future husband and the love of her life, Herman Safarian at an Armenian Youth Conference in Wisconsin. They had a long-distance relationship; with Herman traveling from East St. Louis, IL, on the weekends to court his future bride. On October 25, 1953, the young couple married.
Herman adored Mary and she loved him deeply. They raised four children together, with Herman being self-employed in the dry-cleaning business and Mary being a homemaker. Mary was very involved with her children, she was a classroom volunteer, room mother, a member of the PTA and President of the grade school Booster Club. Herman and Mary loved to travel, they especially enjoyed going to Las Vegas together, and traveling with family and friends. Her love for her family continued when she became a grandmother. Nothing brought Mary more joy than being around her family and grandchildren. Mary will always be remembered as being a loving wife, loving her family deeply, a Christian woman, and having many friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Herman H. Safarian; her parents, George and Lucille Ekizian, nee Davidian; her brother, Daniel Zakian; and her sister, Helen Monkman.
Mary is survived by her children, Lucille (David) Schweitzer of Chesterfield, MO, Sandra (William) Winter of Belleville, IL, David (Elizabeth) Safarian of Chesterfield, MO, and Brian (Lisa) Safarian of O’Fallon, IL; 7 grandchildren, Natalie Schweitzer, Erica Winter, Mark and Michelle Safarian, and Jacob, Andrew and Rachel Safarian; her sisters-in-law, Rose Safarian and Virginia Safarian, both of Fairview Heights, IL; her nieces and nephews, Michael Safarian, Jane Alberter, Connie Rivers and Tim Monkman. Mary is also survived by many other loving nieces, nephews, and friends.
Memorials are preferred to Holy Shoghagat Armenian Church or to Christ United Methodist Church.
Private visitation will be held on Monday, June 8, 2020 at Kassly Mortuary, Ltd., Fairview Heights, IL.
Private funeral service will be held on Monday, June 8, 2020 at Kassly Mortuary, Ltd., Fairview Heights, IL with Rev. Shane Bishop officiating. Interment will be held in Lake View Memorial Gardens, Fairview Heights, IL with committal by Rev. Fr. Voskan Hovhannisyan.
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