Rose died peacefully at home at age 96 surrounded by her friends and dedicated caregivers, August 9, 2021. Rose was the daughter of the late Panos and Arisdine Krikorian. She was predeceased by her brother, Harold, and her sister, Sybil. Rose was born in Watertown and graduated from Watertown High School. For many years, she lived in Belmont with her mother and sister, where her family hosted many dinner parties for her friends.
Rose was proud of her Armenian heritage. She and her family were benefactors and active members of St. Stephen’s Armenian Church in Watertown. Rose spent her entire career in public service, first having served as an assistant to Elliott Richardson, then United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts and later the Attorney General of the United States. She was also the executive assistant to the Honorable G. Joseph Tauro, Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts until Justice Tauro’s retirement.
From 1975, until her retirement in 1989, Rose served as the executive assistant to the Honorable Edward F. Hennessey, Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court. Rose was greatly admired and respected by the judges on the Supreme Judicial Court and was beloved by the many law clerks who served the court. The law clerks were her extended family. She never missed a law clerk’s reunion. Rose was known for her sophisticated style, humor and class.
On Rose’s retirement in 1989, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly penned an editorial entitled, “A Rose By Any Other Name ….” It read, in part, “Many of us at the bar have known for years who really has been responsible for the smooth sailing of the ship of justice through the rough waters of the commonwealth, Rose. She efficiently and modestly guarded the door to the corner lobby for all those years and did so in such an effective manner that no one ever was offended and no one ever believed that the chief did not think his opinion was important enough to be heard.”
Funeral services will be held at Saint Stephen’s Armenian Church, 38 Elton Avenue, Watertown on Wednesday, August 18 at 12 noon. A visitation period will be held at church on Wednesday from 11 a.m. - 12 noon , immediately prior to the funeral service. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend.
Donations in Rose’s memory may be made to the Chief Justice Edward F. Hennessey Scholarship Fund c/o Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc., Ten Winter Street, Boston, MA 02108-4751.