Anne Adoian Nalbandian Bemis
“You’ll never get married; you laugh too much,” Geraldine told Anne. They were hospital mates — children in the polio ward at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. But Anne Adoian Nalbandian Bemis paid no heed to Geraldine — she went on to live a long and accomplished life full of laughter — and marry she did.
Anne always said she was born lucky, having come into this world on the auspicious date of 3/3/33. She was born in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood to Lucia Adoian Nalbandian and Paul Nalbandian, survivors of the Armenian genocide. (Lucia’s cousin was renowned artist Arshile Gorky, born Manoug Adoian. Art was in Anne’s blood...)