The Diocese
Posted: 08/12/2016
On August 8, 2016 St. Vartan Armenian Church in Oakland, California bid farewell to long-time member, Diana Toomajian with a solemn funeral service at the church. Diana honored St. Vartan Church with a lifetime of dedicated and tireless service. Diana Toomajian was 102 years young.
Diana was born on March 1, 1914 in Fowler, California to Haiganoush and Avedis Soligian.
Diana’s family moved from Fowler to Sanger before moving to Los Angeles in 1924. In LA they had ownership in a few tire shops with her mother’s brothers.
After losing the tire shops in the Great Depression, Haiganoush and Avedis moved Diana, along with her brother, Ara, and sister, Madeline, to Oakland at the suggestion of her future in-laws.
In Oakland, Diana and her family lived above a grocery store her parents owned and operated. After her father passed away she, along with her siblings, helped their mother run the store.
In 1934, Diana married Suren Toomajian. Suren and Diana welcomed a son, Barry, in 1936 and a daughter, Suzanne, in 1938. Diana continued to live on McKinley Avenue for the remainder of her life.
Diana’s involvement in the St. Vartan Church community started soon after her marriage to Suren Toomajian in 1934, and the purchase of their home on McKinley Street in Oakland in 1936. St. Vartan Church was located at 23rd Ave. and East 17th Street at the time, but the congregation was outgrowing that location. When the property at the corner of McKinley and Spruce Streets came up for sale in the early 1950’s, Suren and Diana, along with other church members, secured the land for building the present day St. Vartan Church, and two years later building the hall on today’s site. For over 60 years, Diana kept a watchful eye on St. Vartan Church from her vantage point across the street.
Suren and Diana and their family were dedicated members of St. Vartan, serving in all aspects of the church. Diana was especially dedicated to the Ladies Society where she was able to do what she loved—cook with her friends. Diana was in the kitchen for the very first bazaar, and continuing serving in the kitchen at each bazaar until 2014. Another one of her favorite jobs at church was buying and arranging fresh flowers for the altar, which she did for decades. Along with her duties at church, Diana enjoyed a full social life, often traveling to foreign locations with Suren and entertaining their many friends. She was very proud of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
On June 21, 2002, Diana was presented with the St. Nersess Shnorhali Medal of Honor by His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of all Armenians.
When asked about her longevity, Diana replied, “Keep active, be positive, and stay involved with your church.”
Diana is survived by her children, Barry Toomajian and his wife, Judy, and Suzanne Vasgerdsian and her husband, Edward; her grandchildren Matthew (Kimberly) Vasgerdsian, Nicole Vasgerdsian (Christopher) Brady, Laura (David) Lien, and Kevin (Rayna) Toomajian; and her great-grandchildren, Jonathan, Tommy and Ashley Lien, Talia and Ani Brady, Olivia Toomajian, and Luke and Alexander Toomajian.
During the funeral service Fr. Hovel Ohanyan, the parish priest of St. Vartan Church in Oakland read the message of condolence of His Eminence Abp. Hovnan Derderian, the Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church addressed to Toomajian Family and to the entire community of St. Vartan Church.
