Gloria A. Tufenkjian, 84, of Worcester, died Tuesday, October 30th at UMass Medical Center. She is survived by her brother, Armen "Bill" Tufenkjian of Worcester and her sister, Elisa Khachian of Fairfield, CT, three nieces, a nephew and many grand nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her fiance, Gilbert Rybicki.
She was born in Worcester, the daughter of Mirhan and Hrag (Soghigian) Tufenkjian. Her father owned and operated Tufenkjian Oriental Rugs on Pleasant Street for many years. An independent, professional woman, Gloria worked for over 30 years at Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and later for the Higgins Armory Museum until its closing. She enjoyed dining out, meeting new people, spending time with family and friends and collecting silver jewelry. Gloria was known as "Miss Hallmark" for the cards she would send to her many loved ones on all occasions. She was also extremely fond of writing letters to her growing list of pen pals. She appreciated a helpful hand and generously reciprocated in many ways. She always had a fun story to tell and could share lesser known tales of Worcester's rich history. Gloria will be missed by all who knew her.
Services will be private. O'CONNOR BROTHERS FUNERAL HOME, 592 Park Avenue is assisting the family with arrangements. Please make memorial contributions to the Central Mass Shelter For Homeless Veterans, 69 Grove Street, Worcester, MA 01605 or to Tower Hill Botanic Garden, P.O. Box 598, Boylston, MA 01505.