Laurel Dickranian Karabian
OBITUARY | OCTOBER 31, 2014 10:37 AM
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Dickranian School Benefactor
LOS ANGELES — Laurel Dickranian Karabian, passed away on October
19. She was 60.
She was born in Beverly Hills, to Archie and Eleanor Dickranian.
She attended Beverly Hills High School and graduated cum laude from
Pomona College where she majored in Renaissance studies. She earned
her MBA in fine arts management at the UCLA Anderson School of
Management.
Her love of music took her to San Francisco, where she worked as the
associate director of development for the San Francisco Symphony. She
moved back to Los Angeles to take a position with the Los Angeles
Philharmonic as the director of development. Later she worked as an
independent consultant providing management and fundraising services
for arts and community organizations.
Beyond music, Karabian was a huge advocate for and passionate about
the arts and education. She was appointed by former Gov. George
Deukmejian to the California Arts Council. She was a member of the Los
Angeles County Arts Commission, served as a board member of the
Armenian Library and Museum of America, and was the founding president
of the Los Angeles chapter of the Armenian International Women’s
Association. In addition, she contributed her expertise to many other
volunteer organizations.
She enjoyed going to the opera, theater, ballet, and symphony with her
family and friends. She loved to travel and had a particular love for
Italy, and spent many summers in Venice. There, she continued to learn
Armenian, which was her fourth language, including French and Italian.
As much as she loved to travel, many of her happiest times were at her
family’s home in Malibu and at her apartment in San Francisco.
She and her husband were benefactors of the Arshag Dickranian Armenian
School, which had been founded by her parents. Her daughter, Madeline,
attended the school from nursery through the eighth grade.
She is survived by her daughter Madeline and her husband former
California State Assembly Majority Leader Walter Karabian, and his son
Benjamin. She is also survived by her sister Cindy (Ken) Norian.
Services were held Monday, October 27, at St. Leon Armenian Cathedral
3325 N. Glenoaks Blvd. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to
Arshag Dickranian Armenian School, 1200 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los
Angeles, CA 90038.
(Editor’s Note: An abbreviated version of this obituary appeared on
the front page of last week’s Mirror-Spectator.)