Satenig Sarkissian

Satenig was born in Bucharest, Romania on January 26,1926, to Simon and Armen Vartanian. By the age of 18, as World War II was still ravaging Europe, she finished her apprenticeship and studies at the trade college and started her tailoring atelier. While working and helping with the family income, she also enrolled at the Bucharest Language Academy, and became proficient in French, Russian and Italian. She had a passion for learning and a gift for languages : both were to help her in future years.

In 1953 she married Arthur Dimidgian and in the next few years gave birth to two daughters, Luiza and Christine. Following her husband's untimely death in 1964 she worked tirelessly to provide for and raise her daughters, while staying very close to her parents and brother. In the early 1970's, sensing the rising tide of social and economic uncertainty caused by the communist regime in Romania, Satenig began the process to leave the country and immigrate to the United States. In June of 1974, she and her daughters relocated to Los Angeles. Her skill, hard work and kindness were appreciated in several studios, including a sportswear design facility, as well as high-end boutiques. She continued to work following her marriage to Artin Sarkissian in 1978 through the late 1980's. Following her retirement, Satenig and Artin enjoyed nearly a decade of traveling before he became ill : Satenig had lovingly dedicated several years to caring for Artin during his battle with the devastating disease until his death in 2002. In 2006, at the age of 80, Satenig started pursuing her childhood dream, after her uncle, the celebrated artist Partoh Vartanian, and picked up the brush to start painting : she loved working with watercolors and was quite prolific during the following six years, creating many beautiful landscapes, her favored subject. She also continued knitting and creating many lovely patterns in her work; many of these pieces, blankets, scarves, hats, booties, were donated at her request to various orphanages around the country.

Throughout her life, Satenig has shown amazing strength, resilience and poise. Though she has always led a modest life, she always gave to and helped the less fortunate and shared with everyone. She is remembered as a gracious, generous and selfless woman by all fortunate to have known and loved her. Even during her last years with various illnesses and much suffering, she continued to show love, compassion and respect to all. Her strong belief in God was the guiding light in her daily life and shone through all her actions.

Satenig is survived by daughters Luiza and Christine, their respective husbands, Jerry Schultz and Jim Clark, and two grandchildren, Alexandra Stamm and Arthur Clark.