Lasting Memories

Florence Eugenie Kashian
Aug. 13, 1918-March 23, 2014
Menlo Park, California

Florence Eugenie Megerdichian Kashian, a 45 year resident of Menlo Park, passed away on March 23, at the age of 95.

The daughter of Armenian immigrants, Florence was born in Boston, Massachusetts, as the older of two children, and grew up in Braintree and Cambridge. She studied voice and piano at the New England Conservatory in Boston, which led to a life filled with music and performance. She was introduced to her husband, Puzant (Paul) Kashian, by her cousin just before the Second World War, and they were married two months after Pearl Harbor. After living at Fort Hood, Texas, while Paul was serving in the Army, they settled in Glenview, Illinois for 20 years and raised their family of three children.

In addition to her music, and while raising her children, Florence was a member of the choir at St. James Armenian Church in Evanston, Illinois as well as Glenview Community Church in Glenview, where she sang soprano solos, including those from Handel?s Messiah every Easter Sunday.

Weary of the long winters, Florence and Paul left the Midwest and moved to Pebble Beach where they lived for two years. While visiting their son James, who was a student at Stanford, they discovered Menlo Park and fell in love with the large deciduous trees and flora reminiscent of their Midwest roots. They moved to Menlo Park in 1969 and founded Kashian Persian Rugs, which continued until her husband's death in 1985. Menlo Park and the friends they made here became their home for the rest of their lives.

Florence was a happy and fun-loving person who wanted to bring joy to people. She was an excellent cook, loved to entertain, and enjoyed her family and friends. She traveled extensively, was a member and benefactor of St. Andrew Armenian Church in Cupertino, and an officer of many Armenian organizations. She was an avid reader and served as a volunteer at Menlo Park Library.

She leaves behind her children, Barbara Snow of Madison, Wisconsin, James Kashian of Los Angeles and his partner Thomas Proctor, and Ruth Meehan of Menlo Park and her partner Chris Dawson, her four grandchildren, James Gubbins, Alexander Gubbins, Emily Meehan and Kevin Meehan, and Kevin's wife, Alexandra, and her two great grandchildren, Gianni Gubbins and Domenic Gubbins, the sons of James Gubbins.

There was a private service for the family at Alta Mesa Cemetery in Palo Alto, where Florence joined her loving husband to travel together through the next journey.