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In April 2024, aged 109. (Source: Knights Of Vartan Ararat Lodge 1 & Daughters of Vartan Arpie Otyag 9 Boston)

Supercentenarian Profile

Mary Vartanian

Born:

1914-08-15

Aintab

Current Residence:

Boston, Massachusetts

United States

Mary Vartanian (née Ouzghoushian) is an Armenian-American supercentenarian, and the oldest known living survivor of the Armenian genocide.

BIOGRAPHY

Mary Vartanian was born in Aintab, Ottoman Empire (now known as Gaziantep in Turkey), on 15 August 1914. Her family was not deported during the Armenian Genocide, in part due to the protection of a paternal cousin, Dr. Garabed Yesayan. Mary was too young to remember much about her early life in Gaziantep, but she knew that her father was a miller who produced cracked wheat. She had two sisters and one brother, and the entire family eventually reached Aleppo, in what is now Syria.

Mary attended the Grtasirats Armenian School in Aintab, which was founded in 1924, and studied there through the sixth grade. She remembered enjoying her time there. She learned Armenian at school, spoke Turkish from her early years in Gaziantep, and later picked up Arabic after her family began renting a house from Arab landlords.

Mary was introduced to Hovhannes Vartanian by her cousin, and they married in 1935. Hovhannes, like his father, was a talented violinist and also a composer. He performed for the Armenian Radio of Aleppo and was eventually awarded the Syrian National Medal of Recognition for his musical achievements. His career took him across the Middle East, where he frequently performed. Mary and Hovhannes had six children together—four sons and two daughters. Although Hovhannes primarily spoke Turkish and knew little Armenian when they married, Mary gradually taught him the language.

In 1965, the Vartanians relocated to Beirut, Lebanon, to prevent their sons from being conscripted into the Syrian army. Four years later, Hovhannes passed away, and Mary was widowed at the age of 55. Shortly afterward, one of their sons, Zaven, emigrated to the United States and settled in Watertown, Massachusetts. In 1972, Mary and another son joined him. Over the following years, her remaining children also immigrated to the U.S., with the exception of one daughter and her family, who chose to remain in Beirut.

In Watertown, Mary spent a year working at a factory assembling parts for an electrical company, after which she occasionally took on babysitting jobs. She lived near St. James Armenian Church and became an active member of its Ladies’ Guild.

In April 2024, Mary was honored as the distinguished guest by the Massachusetts House of Representatives during the commemoration of the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide at the Massachusetts State House. It was noted that she had attended the genocide commemoration at the State House every year, but this was the first time she was formally recognized. At the time, her family shared that she attributed her long life to a strong sense of family and cultural heritage.