BEATRICE (NARGIZIAN) DULGARIAN

Speech Pathologist and Pianist , of Cranston, RI and Ft. Lauderdale, FL, passed away on Monday, July 2, 2012. She was the wife of the late Earl S. Dulgarian, with whom she was co-founder of the College Hill Book Store of Providence, and vice president of the Avon Cinema in Providence.

Born March 27, 1925, in Brooklyn, NY, she was the daughter of the late Alfred and Gladys (Memleketian) Nargizian. After beginning a liberal arts program at Brooklyn College (City University of New York), she transferred to the University of Southern California, where she received her bachelor's degree in speech pathology. Mrs. Dulgarian was one of the founders and a charter member of the Providence chapter of Self-Help for Hard of Hearing People. She was a field coordinator for aural rehabilitation and a hearing and speech therapist with the Sargent Rehabilitation Center of Providence. Previously, she was a professional speech reading instructor and speech therapist at the New York League for the Hard of Hearing in New York City, an audiologist for Dr. Julius Lempert, the famed otologist who pioneered the "fenestration" ear operation, and was audiologist at the Manhattan Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, New York City. Since 1974, she taught a program of lipreading and auditory training at the Hamilton House, Providence.

Mrs. Dulgarian was an accomplished classical pianist who studied in New York City and performed as a guest artist in NY and RI until her retirement. She was a State Vice President of the RI Federation of Music Clubs, a past President of both the Chaminade and the MacDowell Music Clubs, and a member of the Chopin Club of RI. She was Scholarship Chairman of the Chaminade Club. Years ago, her husband had established a scholarship in her name, to benefit talented young musicians. She was a member of the General Federation of Women's Clubs and was a frequent lecturer and guest speaker for civic and church groups. She was a member of Meshanticut Park Community Baptist Church. She served as Church Moderator, Chairman of the Diaconate, Chairman of the Board of Christian Education, and was a member of the Pastoral Relations Committee. She was active in community affairs in RI and an active participant in fund raising drives for the United Way, RI State Council of Churches, and Meeting Street School. Mrs. Dulgarian was a member of the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Armenian Apostolic Church, Providence, the Women's Guild, and the Daughters of Vartan, Lodge No. 10, and lectured throughout the state on Armenian culture. She was a life-long member of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, an international charitable organization.

She leaves three sons, Robert E. and his wife Janis of Cumberland, Richard K. of Cranston, Kenneth R. and his wife Gretchen of Providence, and one daughter, Joyce C. Swedberg and her husband Steven of Danvers, MA; four grandchildren, Scott Swedberg, Madison, Morgan and Harrison Dulgarian; her brother Richard Nargizian and his wife Margaret of Franklin Square, NY and her sister Jean Nargizian of North Andover, MA.

Her funeral will be held on Friday at 9:45 a.m. from the NARDOLILLO FUNERAL HOME & Crematory, 1278 Park Ave., Cranston, followed by a Funeral Service in The First Baptist Church in America, 75 North Main Street, Providence at 11 a.m. Interment will be at Swan Point Cemetery in Providence. VISITING HOURS are Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Hamilton House, 267 Angell St., Providence, RI 02906.