With deep sorrow, the Eastern Diocese mourns the loss of Diramayr Yeretzgin Anahid Kalayjian, wife of the late Reverend Fr. Vertanes Avak Kahana Kalayjian, and mother of the Reverend Fr. Avedis Kalayjian, who passed away on January 23. She was 92.
Yn. Anahid was a faithful servant of our Lord; a font of learning and energy; and a gracious presence among our people, who drew countless souls to the church through her warmhearted personality and indomitable spirit.
She was already a woman of learning and accomplishment when she married Fr. Vertanes Kalayjian in 1969. Der Vertanes was passionate about asserting the church’s mission in the surrounding world, and his wife became a partner and support to his ministry.
The parishes in our Diocese where Der Vertanes served as pastor were blessed by their mutual care. These included Holy Cross and St. Stepanos churches in New Jersey. But it was Washington’s St. Mary Church that became most deeply associated with Der Vertanes and Yn. Anahid, and enjoyed their leadership for more than a generation. The two were blessed to be married for 47 years, before Der Hayr’s passing in 2016.
Throughout her life, Yn. Anahid embraced the role of teacher, striving to awaken parishioners to the treasures of the Armenian Christian heritage—and to awaken them to a deeper awareness of Christ’s personal presence in their lives. Over the years, countless people would find inspiration and consolation in her humane, compassionate spirituality. In particular, the example of Der Hayr and Yeretzgin inspired their children to take up this legacy—and led one to answer the Lord’s call to ordination as a priest of the Armenian Church.
We are especially mindful at this time of Yeretzgin’s children Dr. Zaven and Edita, Berj, and Fr. Avedis and Karen; her grandchildren Jirair, Hrak, Pargev, Zorair, Aram, and Arev; and all of her loved ones. May God console them in their grief.
Scroll down to read the Kalayjian family’s tribute to Yeretzgin’s remarkable life.
Funeral arrangements for Yn. Anahid Kalayjian are as follows:
The Wake Service will be held in Washington, DC, at St. Mary Armenian Church (4125 Fessenden St., Washington). Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, February 12, beginning at 5 p.m. The dahn gark (wake) service will be held at 6:30 p.m. A memorial reception will follow in the church hall.
Diocesan Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan will preside over the wake service and deliver a eulogy.
The Funeral Service will be held in Fair Lawn, NJ, at St. Leon Armenian Church (12-61 Saddle River Rd., Fair Lawn), on Saturday, February 14. A visitation period will begin at 9 a.m., with the funeral beginning at 10 a.m. The burial service will follow at George Washington Cemetery (234 Paramus Rd., Paramus, NJ).
A hokejash will follow the burial, at the Assyrian Church of the Virgin Mary (644 Paramus Rd., Paramus, NJ).
The family has requested that in-lieu-of-flowers donations in Yn. Kalayjian’s memory may be made to the following: (a) St. Mesrob Armenian Church (4605 Erie St., Racine WI 53402; or stmesrobchurch.org/donations); (b) St. Mary Armenian Church (4125 Fessenden St. NW, Washington, DC 20016; or donorbox.org/stmaryschurch-2); and (c) Holy Cross Armenian Church (318 27th St., Union City, NJ 07087).
May our risen Lord grant rest to His faithful daughter Diramayr Yeretzgin Anahid Kalayjian, and remember her on the great day of His judgment.
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Diramayr Yeretzgin Anahid Kalayjian (1933-2026)
Yeretzgin Anahid Kalayjian, wife of the late Rev. Fr. Vertanes Archpriest Kalayjian, former pastor of St. Mary Armenian Church, Washington, DC, passed away on January 23, 2026, in Gaithersburg, MD, at the age of 92.
Daughter of Dikran and Victoria Bozoyan, Yeretzgin Anahid was born in Aleppo, Syria on February 2, 1933. She graduated as class valedictorian from the American High School for Girls and Haigazian College in Beirut, Lebanon, where she started her career in nursing. She continued her education in the United States of America first at Christ Hospital Nursing School in Jersey City, NJ, and then graduating with a BA and MA in Nursing Education from Columbia University Teachers College in 1963. She worked as a nursing supervisor and instructor at Christ Hospital.
Her true vocation was in service to the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church. At Holy Cross Armenian Church in Union City, NJ, she was a Sunday School Teacher, Choir Member, ACYOA (Armenian Church Youth Organization of America) member, Armenian School Superintendent and community organizer. Through her many church activities she met her husband, Fr. Vertanes Kalayjian, the pastor of Holy Cross. Fr. Vertanes was given special permission to be released from his vows of celibacy to marry Anahid in 1969. From then on, Anahid Bozoyan became Yeretzgin Anahid Kalayjian.
From Holy Cross, they moved to St. Mary Armenian Church in Elberon, NJ, in 1972, and then to St. Mary Armenian Church in Washington, DC, in 1977.
Yeretzgin Anahid continued her devoted service at St. Mary through, among other activities, the Choir, the Women’s Guild (as member, chairlady, delegate, and Central Council member), by founding the 3M Club for the educational, cultural, and social enjoyment of the parish, co-founding the Shnorhali School of St. Mary for Christian and Armenian education, and as Coordinator and Youth Advisor of the ACYOA Jrs. and Srs. She created the “Hye Time in Washington” program, which brought together neighboring Armenian communities for social activities and fellowship.
She was the first yeretzgin to be elected as a Diocesan Delegate. She was awarded the “Ara & Maral Statue” for 25 years of service to the parish Armenian School. She participated in humanitarian and religious trips to Armenia through the HAVAD program, co-founded by Fr. Vertanes as a Christian Missionary program of the Eastern Diocese. Through HAVAD, she and Fr. Vertanes established Christian Education Camps and supported the Dilijan Orphanage and Siranoush Camp in Yeghegnadzor, which have provided assistance to hundreds of Armenian youth. She was a member of the Armenian Health Association of Washington, DC, a member of the Armenian-American Cultural Association, and a board member of the Women’s Wellness Center in Armenia.
She sang in the Ani-Knar Choral Group and helped plan and execute events at the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia to raise funds to help both the embassy and the Armenian homeland.
For over 25 years, Yeretzgin Anahid nurtured and cared for countless youth at the AGBU Camp Nubar as Nurse, Counselor, and Religious and Armenian Culture Program Director.
She received the Nerses Shnorhali Award from Catholicos Karekin II for her exceptional devotion and service to the Armenian Church in America and Armenia. She has been recognized by the Metropolitan Washington Chapter of the United Nations for her dedicated service during the 1988 Earthquake in Armenia. Along with Fr. Vertanes, she was recognized by the Alexandria Virginia City Council through a proclamation praising their work and thanking them for many years of supporting the annual Alexandria Armenian Festival.
In 2016, Yeretzgin Anahid and Fr. Vertanes were recognized by the Armenian Assembly of America for their dedicated leadership, commitment and contributions to the Armenian and Armenian-American communities. She was a long-time board member of the Jerair Nishanian foundation, which helps underprivileged and talented young Armenian students in Armenia to receive higher education, especially in engineering and architecture.
Yeretzgin Anahid was a devoted and loving spouse to Fr. Vertanes Kalayjian (of blessed memory) and partnered with him in nearly all aspects of his ministry. She was a devoted sister to all her late siblings: brother Yervant Bozoyan and sisters Zvart Samuelian, Angel Madalian, and Arshalooys Kevorkian. She was mother of Dn. Zaven Kalayjian, Ph.D. (spouse Edita), Berj Kalayjian, and Fr. Avedis Kalayjian (spouse Yeretzgin Karen), and proud grandmother to six wonderful grandchildren: Jirair, Hrak, Pargev, Zorair, Aram and Ms. Arev Kalayjian.
As a Christian woman, her faith guided her in everything she did. She was widely and deeply respected throughout the Armenian community, was a role model to many, a true example of a servant-leader, and will be profoundly missed.