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Dear friends,
Thank you to all who supported Belmont resident and Burbank parent Narine Van Hal when she was battling cancer, and expressed condolences after she passed away on November 14, 2020. Many of you asked how you could show support for the bereaved. After much thought. Narine’s 11-year-old son, Alexander - now in Chenery - expressed that he would like to memorialize his mother with a bench at Grove Street park, where he plays. Ronald and Janna, Narine’s daughter, support the idea.
The Recreation Department voted to approve the project on 1/13/21, and the Select Board approved the project last Tuesday on 2/2/21. Now we move towards making it happen! The Grove Street park memorial bench for Narine will cost $3050 in total, and the town will contribute the labor and installation for this memorial.The bench will be installed at the triangular patch adjacent to the playground, where Alexander is pictured (above).. The memorial plaque will say “In loving memory of Narine Van Hal.”
Community contributions to help make the memorial a reality are welcome and appreciated.
Please read on to learn about Narine’s life ❤️
NARINE VAN HAL
Narine van Hal (nee Tombulyan), age 54, passed away in the early morning of November 14, 2020, at Massachusetts General Hospital. After fifteen months of calmly, gracefully and courageously doing everything she possibly could to stop the progression of ovarian cancer, she managed to leave this planet the same way she lived her life - with grace, clear mind and kindness.
Narine was born in Yerevan, Armenia. She was the firstborn child of Paruyr Tombulyan and Venera Arzumanyan, at the time both young students at Yerevan State University.
Coming of age during the twilight of the Soviet Union and great turbulence for her Armenia, Narine earned a degree in Economics and her first job was in the president’s office of the newly independent post-Soviet Republic of Armenia. Those were not easy years - a major earthquake, war and the economic blockade of Armenia hyper focused everyone’s efforts into supporting their loved ones. While working and raising her daughter Janna, Narine perfected the art of making meals from very little, baking masterpieces for her family.
Narine and Janna immigrated to the United States in the spring of 1996, to be reunited with her sister Nonna and her family. For the first couple of years they all lived together, giving Narine an opportunity to learn English, learn to drive, get a job and get accustomed to her new life in America in the town of Ridgefield, Connecticut. Her first job here was decorating beautiful cakes for events, but after improving her English she moved on to having a job in the accounting department of a major international energy company and later became a team manager of a corporate moving company.
In January of 2004, Narine met the love of her life, Ronald van Hal, and together they embarked on a wonderful journey. In addition to becoming a father figure to Janna, Ronald introduced Narine to his loving family in the Netherlands, and together they traveled multiple times to Europe and Armenia.
In 2006, they moved to Boston where they rejoined Nonna and her family. In May of 2007, they had a beautiful wedding in the historic Charles Hotel (Harvard Square) in Cambridge. In 2009, Narine and Ronald were blessed with the birth of their son, Alexander, who brings light and joy to everyone around him. He is treasured and adored by his parents, his sister Janna, by both sets of grandparents in the Netherlands and Armenia, and by his aunts, uncles and cousins.
Narine and Ronald bought a beautiful house in Belmont, MA, where she regularly baked, cooked and entertained her family and friends with the most creative and delicious food. There was nothing Narine couldn’t make - a true culinary talent, who selflessly catered to everyone’s tastes, baking everything from bread to pakhlava to the most intricate pastries and cakes. In August of this year, Narine was excited to witness Janna’s wedding to Eric, who was welcomed into the family with open arms.
Narine is survived by her loving husband Ronald, their daughter and son in-law Janna and Eric Egavian, and their son Alexander.
She is also survived by her parents, Paruyr and Venera (Armenia); her sister Nonna (her husband Peter) with their son Stefan (his partner Aerica) and their daughter Lana; her brother Mushegh (Tigranuhi) and their son Gagik (his wife Meagan) and their daughter Naneh; her aunt Lyudmila, uncle Vahan and family.
In addition, Narine is survived by Ronald’s parents, Gunter and Nolda (The Netherlands), his sister Marion (her husband Manuel) and their three daughters, Eva, Carlijn and Laura.
Thank you to all who supported Belmont resident and Burbank parent Narine Van Hal when she was battling cancer, and expressed condolences after she passed away on November 14, 2020. Many of you asked how you could show support for the bereaved. After much thought. Narine’s 11-year-old son, Alexander - now in Chenery - expressed that he would like to memorialize his mother with a bench at Grove Street park, where he plays. Ronald and Janna, Narine’s daughter, support the idea.
The Recreation Department voted to approve the project on 1/13/21, and the Select Board approved the project last Tuesday on 2/2/21. Now we move towards making it happen! The Grove Street park memorial bench for Narine will cost $3050 in total, and the town will contribute the labor and installation for this memorial.The bench will be installed at the triangular patch adjacent to the playground, where Alexander is pictured (above).. The memorial plaque will say “In loving memory of Narine Van Hal.”
Community contributions to help make the memorial a reality are welcome and appreciated.
Please read on to learn about Narine’s life ❤️
NARINE VAN HAL
Narine van Hal (nee Tombulyan), age 54, passed away in the early morning of November 14, 2020, at Massachusetts General Hospital. After fifteen months of calmly, gracefully and courageously doing everything she possibly could to stop the progression of ovarian cancer, she managed to leave this planet the same way she lived her life - with grace, clear mind and kindness.
Narine was born in Yerevan, Armenia. She was the firstborn child of Paruyr Tombulyan and Venera Arzumanyan, at the time both young students at Yerevan State University.
Coming of age during the twilight of the Soviet Union and great turbulence for her Armenia, Narine earned a degree in Economics and her first job was in the president’s office of the newly independent post-Soviet Republic of Armenia. Those were not easy years - a major earthquake, war and the economic blockade of Armenia hyper focused everyone’s efforts into supporting their loved ones. While working and raising her daughter Janna, Narine perfected the art of making meals from very little, baking masterpieces for her family.
Narine and Janna immigrated to the United States in the spring of 1996, to be reunited with her sister Nonna and her family. For the first couple of years they all lived together, giving Narine an opportunity to learn English, learn to drive, get a job and get accustomed to her new life in America in the town of Ridgefield, Connecticut. Her first job here was decorating beautiful cakes for events, but after improving her English she moved on to having a job in the accounting department of a major international energy company and later became a team manager of a corporate moving company.
In January of 2004, Narine met the love of her life, Ronald van Hal, and together they embarked on a wonderful journey. In addition to becoming a father figure to Janna, Ronald introduced Narine to his loving family in the Netherlands, and together they traveled multiple times to Europe and Armenia.
In 2006, they moved to Boston where they rejoined Nonna and her family. In May of 2007, they had a beautiful wedding in the historic Charles Hotel (Harvard Square) in Cambridge. In 2009, Narine and Ronald were blessed with the birth of their son, Alexander, who brings light and joy to everyone around him. He is treasured and adored by his parents, his sister Janna, by both sets of grandparents in the Netherlands and Armenia, and by his aunts, uncles and cousins.
Narine and Ronald bought a beautiful house in Belmont, MA, where she regularly baked, cooked and entertained her family and friends with the most creative and delicious food. There was nothing Narine couldn’t make - a true culinary talent, who selflessly catered to everyone’s tastes, baking everything from bread to pakhlava to the most intricate pastries and cakes. In August of this year, Narine was excited to witness Janna’s wedding to Eric, who was welcomed into the family with open arms.
Narine is survived by her loving husband Ronald, their daughter and son in-law Janna and Eric Egavian, and their son Alexander.
She is also survived by her parents, Paruyr and Venera (Armenia); her sister Nonna (her husband Peter) with their son Stefan (his partner Aerica) and their daughter Lana; her brother Mushegh (Tigranuhi) and their son Gagik (his wife Meagan) and their daughter Naneh; her aunt Lyudmila, uncle Vahan and family.
In addition, Narine is survived by Ronald’s parents, Gunter and Nolda (The Netherlands), his sister Marion (her husband Manuel) and their three daughters, Eva, Carlijn and Laura.