Rose Timourian, of Barnegat, passed away at the age of 104 on Saturday,
October 07, 2017, peacefully at home in her sleep.
According to her birth certificate she was born in the Bronx on August 08, 1913, although she
always celebrated her birthday on July 26. Rose was the daughter of the late Hripsime and
Nerses Karagozian.
Rose grew up in New York City, and after her family went to California for a brief stay and
returned to New York, she graduated from school and worked as a seamstress in the wedding
department of the Bergdorf Goodman clothing store. She married Krikor Timourian, a skilled
embroiderer and businessman, on October 06, 1935. The new family eventually moved from the
Bronx to Ossining, NY, and then to Yorktown Heights, NY in 1944, where they remained until
they retired in 1968.
Rose worked for the US Department of Agriculture, and later for the Yorktown Central School
District. She held a variety of other jobs including crafts counsellor at summer camps and had a
ribbon printing business. She and her husband were very active in Yorktown community affairs,
with Rose serving a stint as the president of the school PTA as well as president of the Grange
Fair Association, helping run an American Field Service program for foreign exchange students
and other such activities.
Upon retirement Rose and her husband moved to Loveladies, NJ, on Long Beach Island, where
they immediately got involved in local politics and Rose became the Drama Chair of the Island’s
Woman’s Club. In 1975 they left to settle in the warm climate of Port Charlotte, Florida where
they loved boating, fishing, golfing, and playing bridge. Five years after her husband passed
away, on July 2, 1999, she moved to Barnegat, NJ to be closer to family. She fished and crabbed
at every opportunity, and was an enthusiastic bridge player.
Rose was an amazing woman who did not recognize any limits on what she could accomplish.
She attributed some of her boundless energy and fearlessness to growing up with four brothers
who would insist on her participation when they needed her to make a team.
She was a superb athlete who was at home as a volley partner for tennis professionals in
California, eager to take up skiing at 65, ready to climb the 217 steps to the top of Barnegat
Lighthouse at 95, climbing over intimidating tourist attractions in the Armenian Republic at the
same age, mounting the 230 steps up to the beautiful Sevanavank Monastery or the 572 steps of
the Yerevan Cascade, scurrying around her house without a walker at 103, or demonstrating her
distaste for the aid when it became almost necessary, by occasionally dragging it behind her as
one would pull wheeled carryon luggage.
She brought a “can do” attitude to anything she tackled, from keeping a large vegetable garden,
to eking out a profit in managing the Grange farm fair, working to support a political candidate at
the local, state or national level, or insisting that going to the clubhouse pool with the ladies
meant that she was going to actually do some swimming.
Rose is survived by her daughter Adrienne Minassian and her husband Serge, her son James
Timourian, her son Gregory Timourian and his wife Rita, her niece Maragaret Matero and her
husband Jim, her granddaughter Yvonne and her husband Paul Fereshetian, her granddaughter
Corinne and her husband Steven Kachigian, her grandson Serge Minassian and his wife Tanya,
her granddaughter Mara Timourian and grandson Ian Timourian. She is also survived by greatgrandson
Damon, great-granddaughters Cerise, Jasmine, Maxine, Raquel, Talene, Arianna and
Sophia. In addition Rose is survived by great-great-granddaughter Madeline and great-greatgrandsons
Duke, Whittaker, and Gomidas.
Friends are welcome to call Wednesday, October 11 from 4 – 7 pm at the Barnegat Funeral
Home, 841 West Bay Avenue, Barnegat NJ 08005. Burial at Cedar Grove Cemetery, 130-04
Horace Harding Expy,.Flushing, New York 11367 will take place on Thursday, October 12.
In lieu of flowers donations may be sent to the Women’s Guild of St. Stepanos Armenian
Church, 1184 Ocean Avenue, Elberon, NJ 07740, or the Long Beach Island Foundation of the
Arts and Sciences, 120 Long Beach Blvd, Loveladies, Long Beach Township, NJ 08008.

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