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Esther Dee Kayajanian

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Esther Dee Kayajanian

Esther Kayajanian passed on December 2, 2011 in Newport Beach, CA. She was 37 days shy of turning 91 years old. Esther was born in Chicago, IL, January 9, 1921 and spent the first 25 years of her life in Detroit, MI. She attended Central High School and Wayne State University. She was the daughter of Nevart and John Kalkanian, the owner and operator of Atlas Cone and Candy, the mid-west’s foremost candy cane makers. She married Haig Kayajanian in 1946 and lived in Fresno, CA for the next 51 years. After her husband’s passing in May 2006, she moved to Newport Beach, CA, where her eldest son, Jack J. Kayajanian, a local attorney, lived. Jack and his wife, Joy, cared for her during her final years in Newport Beach.

She is survived by Jack and Joy, her younger son, Jeffrey Kayajanian and wife, Kerry; two grandchildren, Max and Katy Kayajanian. She celebrated her 60th wedding anniversary on April 15, 2006. Esther was a housewife and homemaker until her children graduated from high school when she returned to the fashion industry and worked in women’s clothing for 14 years. She was interested in classical music, literature, and was an outstanding cook specializing in Armenian delicacies.

Esther was an original founding member of the Ani Guild Support Group for the California Home for the Armenian Aged. There will be a memorial luncheon on January 8, 2012 at Bayside Restaurant in Newport Beach. The family requests that any memorial contributions in lieu of flowers be sent to the St. Mary’s Armenian Church, 148 22nd Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92627.

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