Alice Aghazarian, Der Boghossian was born in Zahleh, Lebanon on October 15, 1931. She had three brothers and two sisters. Alice attended Zahleh Catholic Sister School, completing her secondary level education in French.

She was a bright, intelligent and hard working student, who had a passion for reading. At a very young age, she was able to read various difficult books, most importantly, the entire Bible, much to the astonishment of many, including her teachers and school principal. During the same period, Charles de Gaulle, the President of France, was visiting Zahleh and he honored Alice as a top honors student.

In 1951, Alice wed Berdj Der Boghossian and moved to Beirut, Lebanon, forming a warm and loving family, bringing into the world three children, Sylva, Levon and Vasken. Later, son-in-law, Kevork, and daughter-in-laws, Lena and Laura, joined the family. She was a dearly loved and loving grandmother to her five grandchildren, Garine, Lori, Berdj, Janine, and Aren.

She was an exceptional mother who devoted herself to her kids and stood by her husband through the good times and the bad. At a time when it was uncommon for women to work outside the home, she helped her husband manage his business for over 30 years and significantly contributed to his success.

Along with her husband, she was part of the Armenian General Benevolent Union’s (AGBU) Levon G. Nazarian School parents’ committee, as a member, a Vice-President and later, President, devoting her time and soul to the community for over 30 years.

In an effort to escape the political difficulties in Lebanon, she and her husband moved to Montreal, Canada in 1998, following in their children’s footsteps. It was difficult for her to adapt to the foreign culture and the cold weather, especially the loneliness that she experienced following the death of her husband two years ago.

In Montreal, she happily participated in AGBU Golden Age Committee events, enjoying a great time with her beloved friends. She also contributed to several Armenian Church and community center events by helping in the preparation of meals.

Alice was a proud Armenian, and was sociable and hospitable. She was an excellent cook and her table was always open to family, friends and neighbors. She was a woman of uncommon intellectual attainments, often participating in and winning general knowledge contests on the radio and finishing complicated crossword puzzles. In her lifetime, she loved to sing even when was alone. She had a passionate commitment to prayer (her favorite was the Nareg), the church and God. She never went to bed without reading her prayers and even knew the entire Holy liturgy by heart. She was a wonderful person who loved to make everyone around her happy.

Her unexpected death saddened our hearts. May God rest your soul our beloved mother. You will be dearly missed and will live forever in our hearts.