Grace Jelalian Shahinian

GRACE JELALIAN SHAHINIAN



Grace Jelalian Shahinian was the daughter of Rev. Fr. Vahan Jelalian and Yeretzgin Zarouhi Berberian Jelalian. She was the wonderful wife of Dr. Paul Shahinian and devoted mother of Dean Vahan Shahinian, Esq. She graduated from Columbia University and worked as an educator and an artist.



Grace was a widely loved and respected lifelong member of the Armenian Church. She belonged to St. Mary Armenian Church of Washington, DC, since 1951. Previously, she was active at her father’s parishes St. John Armenian Church of Detroit and St. Leon Armenian Church of Paterson, where she produced plays, belonged to the choir and taught Armenian language.



She won first prize in the Woodlawn needlework show competition for her child’s quilt, published childrens’ story author, winner of a Campbell Soup recipe contest, creator of floral assemblages distributed through Garfinckel’s and boutiques, and president of the local school PTA.



Grace served the Diocese on the Legate’s Council under Bishop Papken Varjabedian, representing the Church to the Congressional and diplomatic communities through meetings and Prayer breakfasts. She represented St. Mary’s for several years at the Diocesan meetings of the Womens Guild Central Committee. She often chaired the Parish Assembly Nominating Committee, on which she consistently identified a double slate and often nominated parishioners who had significant talents but were underrecognized.



To help the diplomatic outreach, she chaired a nationwide fundraising effort to purchase a Steinway baby grand piano for the Embassy of Armenia under Rev. Fr. Vertanes Kalayjian during the Ambassadorship of the Honorable Ruben Shougarian, whose wife Lilit is a concert pianist.



To nurture community, she edited the parish’s “Shnorhali” magazine, which included her popular column “Our Church Family News” that reported on current events in parishioners’ lives. On the Feast of the Exaltation Holy Cross, she brought to church basil plants from her garden that were then blessed and given to parishioners.



In addition to exhibiting at the Alexandria Armenian Festival for over twenty years, she has chaired the Bazaar White Elephant Table and was pleased with the income this contributed to the church.



Grace’s love for children was reflected in her giving at Christmas a gift bag to each Shnorhali School student and teacher, selecting gifts that were age and gender appropriate and not duplicating the gifts given to the child’s relatives, for many years. She felt it was important for each child to know that others in the church cared about him or her.