Gary J. Atamian

Gary J. Atamian of Cranston, passed away on Thursday, December 10, 2020 after a brief illness with coronavirus.

Born in Providence, he was the son of the late Manoog and Nevart (Ervanian) Atamian.  He was the loving brother of Dorothy Arakelian of Whitinsville, Massachusetts, Shirley Derderian of Cranston, and the late Gloria Zaroogian.

Although Gary never had children, he treated his nephews and nieces as if they were his own.  He was the dear uncle of Steven Zaroogian and his wife Evelyn of Warwick, Matthew Zaroogian and his wife Jennifer of North Providence and Cynthia Zaroogian; Karen Cullen and John Arakelian of Whitinsville, Massachusetts; Gregory Derderian and his wife Mara of East Greenwich, and Nancy Derderian Potts of Los Angeles, California. He was a great uncle to nine children and great-great uncle to five more. But most of all, he was a great, fun-loving uncle.

Gary was blessed to have not only a large, extended family, but also to have so many friends who loved him dearly. He was funny, and his boisterous personality brightened any room he entered. A season ticketholder of the Providence Bruins, Gary could be heard cheering loudly in the stands at each game or cheering on the New England Patriots.  An avid fan of both teams, he was seldom seen without a team hat.

Gary was a devoted member of Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church in Providence, and performed community outreach such as serving meals at the Providence Mission with the church’s Men's Club.

Gary graduated from Rhode Island College and became a court stenographer. Because of his background, he was a perfectionist when it came to grammar and spelling and was sure to teasingly correct you if you used a word incorrectly. In later years, his job included proofreading and he became well versed in medical terminology. This made him everyone’s unofficial “doctor,” someone you could turn to when you needed help understanding your physician’s diagnosis or a new prescription.

He will be greatly missed by all of his family and friends.  As Gary would say, “Love you to the moon and back.”

His Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, December 17th at 11 a.m. in Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church, Providence (seating will be limited, social distancing and masks required). Burial at North Burial Ground will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church, 402 Broadway, Providence, RI 02909 or the Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Men’s Club at the same address.