Obituary of Ursula B. Findikyan

Ursula Findikyan died peacefully on Monday, October 15, 2018, surrounded by her children. She was predeceased by her parents, Theodor and Anna Bozem, her brother Norbert Bozem, and her beloved companion of seventeen years, Dr. Garabed Fattal. She is survived by her children, Fr. Daniel Findikyan of Bronxville, NY, Stephan and Kristina Findikyan of Pelham, NY, and Tamara and Thomas Findikyan of Vestal, NY. She is also survived by her cherished grandchildren, James, Kira, Julia and Nina Findikyan. Born and raised in Hanau, Germany, Ursula survived the bombings and poverty of WWII, traumas which left a lasting imprint on her life. She later came to the U.S. and attended Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. Soon after, she married, started a family, and moved to New York, settling in Vestal in 1975. Though she was a proud German, she threw herself into, and was fully embraced by the local Armenian Church, where she went on to be chrismated and to serve as a member of the Parish Council and the Women's Guild, which she chaired for many years. While raising three children, Ursula had a continuous career, most notably at Binghamton University, where she worked as an Office Manager in the Biology Department, and for the Student Association. She was a talented cook, seamstress, and crossword puzzle expert, but will be remembered most of all for the warmth with which she opened her home to all. Her house was a second home to her children's friends, as well as the many students she worked with over the years at B.U. Her greatest joy was her pride in her children and grandchildren, to whom she devoted her life. Funeral Services will be held at St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church, 12 Corbett Avenue, Binghamton on Friday at 11:30 a.m. The family will receive friends in the church hall beginning at 10:00 a.m. Burial will be in Vestal Hills Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made to St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church, or to the Dr. Garabed A. Fattal Community Free Clinic, c/o Clinical Campus, 425 Robinson Street, Binghamton, NY 13904.