PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand
10 Macquarie Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
AUSTRALIA
Contact: Laura Artinian
Tel: (02) 9419-8056
Fax: (02) 9904-8446
Email: [email protected]
31 January 2005
DIRAMAYR ALICE BALIOZIAN ENTERS ETERNAL REST
Sydney, Australia – Today, the Armenian community of Australia solemnly
farewelled Diramayr Alice Baliozian, the beloved mother of His Eminence
Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of
Australia & New Zealand, who passed away on Friday, 28 January, 2005 at age
82 years.
Present at the funeral service were a number of dignitaries, government
officials and representatives, church leaders, clergy, representatives of
Armenian organisations, Diocesan and Church Councillors and the community at
large. During the service, messages of condolence were read from His
Holiness Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians and
His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom Manoogian Patriarch of Jerusalem.
The passing of Diramayr Alice brings great sadness not only to her children,
grandchildren and extended family but to the Armenian community of Sydney
who endeared Diramayr as their own mother. Since her arrival to Australia
in 1976, Diramayr was a pillar of church community life bringing her service
when and where it was needed. She was a woman of small stature and soft
demeanour, yet her simple, wondrous smile communicated more than a mouthful
of eloquent words and conveyed genuine warmth and care. She was indeed a
quiet achiever.
Diramayr was a woman of conviction, deep faith and spirituality, values that
she instilled in her children by example. She will always be remembered for
the quiet force that she was for her immediate family and church family.
In his eulogy this afternoon, Archbishop Aghan conveyed his deep sadness for
the loss of his beloved mother but emphasised that the sadness was also
measured against a deep joy in the knowledge that Diramayr Alice truly
walked her life with God. With the will of God and His promise of eternal
life only, can we take comfort in today’s loss.