Former Rhode Island Legislator Aram Garabedian Dies at 91: A Political Career Begun in 1966 and the Revival of Warwick Mall After the 2010 Flood
In Cranston, Providence County, Rhode Island, Aram Garabedian, a former state legislator and Cranston city councilman, has died at age 91, according to a report published October 31.
Garabedian was remembered for his colorful “Aram-isms” and for bringing the Warwick Mall, co-owned by his family, back to life after the devastating floods of 2010. His political career began in 1966 and included six years on the Cranston School Committee, eight years in the state House of Representatives, two years in the Senate, and four years as Cranston City Council president. Over the years he ran for office as a Republican, a Democrat and an independent, including a 1978 bid for lieutenant governor.
Garabedian was also co-managing partner of the Warwick Mall, a real estate property manager and developer, and president emeritus of Bliss Properties Inc. In 2012 he was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame, honored for his efforts to complete the World War II Veterans Monument in Providence and to revive the Warwick Mall. The Hall of Fame entry said that when the 2010 floods devastated many Rhode Island homes and businesses, including the Warwick Mall, Garabedian assured the community that Rhode Island would rebound and the mall would rebuild, coining the phrase “Count on Us!!”
His wake will be held November 4 at the Nardolillo Funeral Home in Cranston, with a service November 5 at Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church in Providence. His son Gary has raised $60,000 so far for Alzheimer's research by playing sponsored pickleball games.
Source: GSM America
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：罗得岛州议会大厦（Providence）。Frank Schulenburg摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经Wikimedia Commons。 / Rhode Island State House in Providence. Photo by Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
