Diran Barmakian Founded Prominent Jewelry Business
Diran Barmakian, co-founder of a prominent New England jewelry
business and member of a quaternary marriage, died suddenly of a heart
attack and stroke on July 17. He was 75.
An identical twin, Diran was born in Cambridge in 1930 to parents of
Armenian descent. He and his twin brother, Vahan, married identical
twins Lillian and Sylvia Tatigian of Montreal, Canada, in a double
wedding on Nov. 9, 1958. The marriage was even more unique in that the
couples lived together, raising their children in a single-family home,
first in Arlington and later in Winchester. The families lived together
even during summers on the Vineyard. Diran and Lillian had four
daughters, and Vahan and Sylvia had two daughters and a son.
Diran’s closeness to his twin did not end at family life.
Along with their older brother Ara, recently deceased, they worked
together to build what was an inconsequential jewelry store left to them
by their father, Levon, into a multi-location, major New England jewelry
business. Diran was the chief financial officer but occasionally managed
to keep his hand in the production of jewelry, setting diamonds and
working with metals for casting. He knew every aspect of the business
and enjoyed staying involved.
From early childhood, he spent summers in Oak Bluffs. His father and
several of his uncles began coming to the Vineyard in the early 1920s,
eventually buying commercial and residential real estate in the town. As
a young man, Diran held summer jobs at the Corner Store, Pacheco’s
(now the Reliable Market) and the Boston House. He cherished the time he
spent on the Vineyard. When his family outgrew the cottage they lived in
on Waban Park, he purchased property formerly owned by Senator Brooke
nearby. With his brothers, he eventually built several homes on the
property for his adult children so their families could enjoy the
Vineyard as much as he did.
An avid tennis player and fitness enthusiast, he exercised every day
and particularly enjoyed his traditional early morning bike ride from
Oak Bluffs to Edgartown. He had many friends and acquaintances on the
Island and could not go far without running into someone he knew to chat
with.
Diran grew up in Watertown and maintained close ties with his many
cousins and friends from childhood. He was graduated from Boston
University in 1952 with a bachelor’s degree in business
administration. From youth until his later years, he was active in the
Armenian community through various organizations and his church.
He is survived by his wife, Lillian; his four daughters, Sima
Seymourian, Liane Bush, Krista Janigian and Deanna; his twin brother,
Vahan, sister in law Sylvia and their three children, Adam, Adreena and
Nyree Valdes, as well as many grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at the St. James Armenian Apostolic
Church on July 20.