Khosrovui Sardarova

Khosrovui Sardarova, 79, born on November 05, 1934, in Athens, Greece, passed away October 27, 2014. She resided in Burbank, California at the time of her passing. Arrangements are under the direction of Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California.


(by Ark Sardarov, youngest son)

My mother was born to Grigor and Anik Sardarian. One of three children, she was a fraternal twin with her brother Manuel (now deceased since 1998). Her oldest sister (by two years) is Catherine. She lost her mother Anik (to illness) when my mother was only 13 years old. It was a devastating moment in her life to say the least. She didn't have a mother to support, guide and love her through her childhood into adulthood. Nevertheless, she grew up to be a very strong, intelligent woman who established a career in fashion design and custom tailoring.

Not too long after her mom's passing, my mother and her family moved to Armenia. Soon thereafter, my mother moved to Baku, Azerbaijan, where she met and married my father, Gyorgy Sardarov. She had three children, Rafayel (now 59), Izabella (now 56) and myself (now 43). Because my father was not a consistent provider, my mother took it upon herself to work hard and make a living as a seamstress and tailor at a time when it was not common for women to be in the work force. She succeeded well and became a great provider and nurturer to her children. She divorced my father and eventually immigrated to the U.S. in 1979 with myself and my brother, Rafayel. My sister, Izabella immigrated a couple of years later on her own. My father immigrated later in 1989 with my niece Inessa, Izabella's daughter. My father passed away in 1997.

My mother continued her career in fashion design in Los Angeles and was determined to work harder than ever to take advantage of the opportunities that a free nation had to offer. She made a name for herself in a boutique, dress-making salon in Beverly Hills. She tried to parlay that success by starting her own boutique. However, still relatively new to the U.S. and not fully acclimated with American ways of doing business, she closed her boutique after about a year. I only wish I was old enough (still a child) to have helped her succeed in her dream. She continued to work for others as a designer and dress maker.

The ability to use her hands in her beloved profession slowly came to an end as she developed severe rheumatoid arthritis. This debilitating disease eventually rendered her hands useless. Her fingers began to permanently deform as the disease attacked her bones. This was another devastation for my mother. It was very difficult for her to accept that her career, a huge part of her life, was at an end. She was a very proud woman. Much of her spirit was gone at this time. But she re-grouped and devoted her life to her children and grandchildren.

My mom was a cancer survivor. In 2004, she was diagnosed with colon cancer after being hospitalized with pneumonia. The tumor in her colon was the size of a baseball. Fortunately however, the cancer of this tumor had not spread beyond the tumor itself, which was a miracle. The surgeon was able to successfully remove the tumor along with part of her colon. The surgery was a great success. My mother was able to resume her normal life after about a year of physical rehabilitation. No chemotherapy, radiation nor any cancer treatment was necessary since the cancer hadn't spread. However, because of her severe arthritis and physical inability to take care of herself, she lived the remaining ten years of her life in a nursing home.

Approximately a year and a half ago, my mother was diagnosed with ampullary cancer. A tumor was found in her duodenum, which is the beginning of the small intestine. This time however, the cancer had spread throughout all of her body. Given her age, the doctors felt that a very complicated surgery was not a good option. Neither was chemotherapy or radiation. My mother was given about six to nine months to live. Fortunately, she made it for over a year. The cancer continued to take its toll as my mother slowly, but progressively, was losing weight during that period. While she steadily lost weight and got smaller and smaller, she was not in pain during this time. She continued to be very lucid and strong of mind and heart up until her last few moments. I was fortunate to be with her during her passing. It was a moment in my life I will never ever forget! She was a mere 62 pounds at the time of her death. God bless her!

My mom was a loving mother to her three children: Rafayel, Izabella and myself. She was a loving grandmother to seven grandchildren: Inessa, Arthur, Justin, Mikel, Natalie, Kayla and Samantha. Inessa and Arthur are Izabella's children. Justin and Mikel are Rafayel's children. Natalie, Kayla and Samantha are my children. My mother was also a great-grandmother to five great-grandchildren: Angelina, Alex, Anthony, Adrian and Haiden. Angelina and Adrian are Arthur's children. Alex and Anthony are Inessa's children. Haiden is Mikel's son. She was deeply loved by all of us. And she loved us all with all her heart!

We will miss you greatly Mama! I know you are resting in peace. I will see you soon in our next life together.

The headstone will read: Beloved Mother and Grandmother. Forever in our Memories. Loving You Always.