LEE ~ MOM ~ MA
Levart, Lehart, Lee, Ma …. however you referred to her she would answer…
Mom would always refer to herself as the “former Lehart Kalajian of Watertown.” She grew up in West Watertown as a first generation Armenian–American and was proud of her heritage. She was a little girl when her father, Matos, passed away, leaving her and her sister Mary responsible of making ends meet with their mother, Rose. The Great Depression really resonated with her, and from that she was always teaching my brothers and I life lessons. She worked at The Hood Rubber Company for many years as a secretary. She then met and married Kirk Aharonian of East Watertown in 1955 and lived in Belmont for fifty-five years and together raised three children. This May, they would have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. Mom did everything with our father; he was a good man, and when he passed, she greatly missed him. Mom and dad were truly best friends. After his passing, her focus was her grandchildren, which she enjoyed having around her as much as she could. This past fall mom started to fail, but even still she fought the good fight. On Wednesday, April 8, 2020, mom decided it was time to be reunited with our dad.
Growing up in Watertown, she was involved with the A.Y.F., where she met countless friends from all over the country. Her days in the A.Y.F. brought our mother so many everlasting memories. She would tell us many stories and always smile. When she got married, she became very involved with St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church, where she was a member of the Ladies Guild, and worked at the annual church bazaar. She enjoyed her Armenian community and all of the friends she made. She also enjoyed the Belmont community, and for many years, she served as part of the P.T.A. and worked as a substitute in the public schools. Our mother was not only a wonderful mother, but a wonderful aunt that will be missed by her nieces and nephews. She will truly be missed by her wonderful niece Rosemary who took care of her and spent many nights with her after our dad passed.
In 1991, she welcomed her daughter-in-law Karen, and in 2001 she welcomed her son-in-law David into the family. She thought of them as her own and treated them as such. Our mom gave all she could and more to each of us, and in return she just enjoyed being with her family. She would always say that family is important. The births of her grandchildren were probably the most rewarding times for her because she enjoyed being with them. She could get them to eat, sleep, and nurture them like a grandmother should. She had a special bond with each of them. Alyssa and Kirk were her first and she spent a lot of time with them as children babysitting. With Anthony, she had a connection that was very special, and wanted to see him graduate this June. Isabella was her sweetheart who loved to use her bingo daubers and spend time with “ma.” She was proud of all of them.
Our mother enjoyed going places with our father, and traveling became something they did more after my brothers and I got older. It was nice to see them travel and enjoy life. I am lucky to have been able to travel with my parents for many years and have made many wonderful memories for my kids. One special vacation was a family cruise in 2010 where the entire family was together, and this vacation made her very happy. Another great memory would be our mother’s grapevine which provided many meals for us, and she waited each summer to pick leaves from the vine to make dolma and yalanchi. She even enjoyed watching the Red Sox and going out for ice cream on summer nights with her grandchildren, something we did very often!
Mom touched so many lives in her ninety years and shared with us life lessons, one of which we’d like to share with you. She would say, “If you ever feel depressed, do something kind for someone else to brighten up their day.” Always be kind to others.
Mom was not a public speaker (believe it or not); she did not like to get up in crowds and talk. What she was, though, was a woman who could tell you “like it is” with a smile on her face and get away with it. She wanted the best for everyone.
We will miss her very much but know that she is with our dad and at peace.
~ Gregory, John and Sharon
Written by her daughter Sharon
In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to either St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church, Watertown, or Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (in memory of Lehart Aharonian). FUNERAL AND CEMETERY ARRANGEMENTS ARE PRIVATE