In Memoriam: Assembly Trustee and Rhode Island Legislator Aram G. Garabedian

Washington, D.C. - The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) mourns the loss of Aram G. Garabedian, an Assembly trustee member since 1990, former Rhode Island state legislator, businessman, and U.S. Army veteran, who passed away on October 30, 2026, at the age of 91.

A proud first-generation Armenian American and the son of an Armenian Genocide survivor, Aram devoted more than five decades to public service in Rhode Island. In 2000, he championed the Genocide and Human Rights Education Law, which requires Rhode Island students to learn about the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, the Irish Famine, and other human rights atrocities.

"Aram Garabedian was a champion for all, and the Armenian American community was fortunate to count him as one of our own," said Assembly Co-Chairs Oscar Tatosian and Talin Yacoubian. "As a legislator, he made Rhode Island one of the first states in the nation to require that students learn about the Armenian Genocide, and as an Assembly Trustee, he brought that same conviction to our work in Washington. He understood that civic engagement is how a community secures its voice. We extend our deepest condolences to the entire Garabedian family."

Born in Providence to Armenian parents, Aram graduated from the University of Maine in 1957 and served two years in the U.S. Army, rising to first lieutenant. His public career began in 1966 with his election to the Cranston School Committee, and he later served in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, the Rhode Island Senate, and as President of the Cranston City Council from 2005 to 2008. Elected over the years as a Republican, a Democrat, and an Independent, he put people over parties. His legislative record put children first, from a statewide law requiring kindergarten at a uniform starting age to funding the Cranston Vocational School. In business, he helped build NBTY (Nature's Bounty) into a multibillion-dollar public company and later led Bliss Properties as co-managing partner of the Warwick Mall.

The son of a mother who escaped the Armenian Genocide, Aram was deeply active in Rhode Island's Armenian community and served the Assembly for many years as an Associate Trustee and a Fellow Trustee. His philanthropy reached well beyond the Armenian community, including service on the boards of the Rhode Island Red Cross, Meals on Wheels, and the Rhode Island Holocaust Education Center. He was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 2012 and received the 2017 National Association of Secretaries of State Medallion Award for civic duty.

Aram is survived by his wife of 69 years, Jane (Bliss) Garabedian; his daughter, Lisa Garabedian Regan; his son, Gary Bliss Garabedian; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

A Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, November 5, at 11:00 a.m. at Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church in Providence, RI, with visiting hours on Wednesday, November 4, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Nardolillo Funeral Home in Cranston, RI. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in his memory to the Alzheimer's Association of Rhode Island or the Ani Chapter of the Armenian Relief Society.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a strictly non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

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