Marjorie Hope Martiesian

Marjorie Hope Martiesian, 76, of Saunderstown, formerly of Providence, died Saturday, March 18th, after a three-month illness with glioblastoma (brain tumor). The daughter of the late Andre and Sadie (Kaloostian) Martiesian, she was a member of the first graduating class of the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) and graduated from Mount St. Joseph College with a degree in elementary education. She also earned a master’s in education from Rhode Island College.

Marjorie will be remembered for her generous heart and unconditional kindness to everyone. She taught for twenty-eight years in the Providence School System as a reading specialist, with the greater part of her career being at the Broad Street Elementary School.  She was a kind and caring teacher who touched many lives.  Following her retirement, Marjorie attended Lunch Bunch monthly with many of her fellow retired teachers. At the drop of a hat, she was always ready to travel world over.

Marjorie was a member of the Sts. Sahag & Mesrob Armenian Apostolic Church where she taught Sunday School; was also a member of the Parish Council and the Women’s Guild. Marjorie was a member of Daughters of Vartan and was honored as Daughter of the Year.

As an advocate of education, Marjorie was a member of the Armenian Students’ Association where she served as a member on their national Board of Trustees and president of the Providence branch. Marjorie was also a current Board member of the CCRI Foundation.

After her retirement, Marjorie continued to advocate for reading proficiency and was an avid reader. She was a past Board member of the Rochambeau branch of the Providence Public Library and was currently on the Board of the Narragansett Public Library and was a strong supporter of their Building Fund.

Marjorie is survived by a brother, Terrance Sahag (Dorothy) Martiesian, a sister, Andrea Martiesian (Philip) Doughty, and Adrienne (Dennis) Cady, her loyal and dear friend. Marjorie is also survived by her loving nieces and nephews, Jason, Joshua, Julia, Jennifer, Lauren, Marc, Carla, Olivia, Aram, Sadie, Kian, Leila, Levon, Ani, Cassius, and Princeton.

Marjorie’s family expresses their gratitude to the staff of the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for the exemplary care she received.

Her funeral service will be at 11:00 am on Monday, March 27th at the Sts Sahag & Mesrob Church, Providence, followed by burial at Swan Point Cemetery, Providence. Visiting hours will be held on Sunday, March 26th from 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm at Sts. Sahag & Mesrob Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Sts. Sahag & Mesrob Church, 70 Jefferson Street, Providence, RI 02908; or the Marjorie Hope Martiesian Scholarship Fund at CCRI, attention: Robin McDuff, Flanagan Campus, 1762 Old Louisquisset Pike, Lincoln, RI 02865; or Save Our Library, c/o Narragansett Public Library, 35 Kingstown Road, Narragansett, RI 02882.