Anna Ambartsumova

Anna Ambartsumova, a gentle and loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away on Friday, October 4. She was 94.

A native of Hadrut in Nagorno Karabakh, Anna grew up in Baku, Azerbaijan, during the difficult years of World War II. At a time when most women didn’t have opportunities to pursue higher education, she went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in petroleum engineering and worked for decades in Baku’s famous oil fields. She retired in her 50s to take care of her newborn granddaughter. In the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet Union and anti-Armenian pogroms in Azerbaijan, she relocated to Armenia and later settled in the United States, where she continued to watch over her growing family. Anna radiated joy and had a contagious laugh. She showed great resilience in the face of many challenges and served as a role model to her beloved grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her loving husband of 57 years, Eduard Pogosiants, and is survived by her son Vadim Pogosiants; her daughter Lorina Abalian and son-in-law Garen Abalian, and their two children, Karine and Anna; and a great-grandson, Kevork.

A wake will be held on Wednesday, October 9, at Erickson-Hansen Funeral Home in New Britain, from 6 to 8 p.m. A funeral service will be held at St. George Armenian Church of Hartford on Thursday, October 10, beginning at 11 a.m. The burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery in West Hartford. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. George Armenian Church, 22 White Street, Hartford, CT 06114.