Annette Ewing Chakerian

 Annette Ewing Chakerian passed away on May 31, 2024 in Albuquerque, NM.  She is survived by her daughters, Anaïs Chakerian and Sarah Valles (Paul Valles); her grandchildren, Vivien McCullough, Audrey McCullough, Holden Valles, and Esmé Valles; and her former husband, Armen Chakerian.  
 
 Annette was born on August 25, 1939 in Lima, OH to Mary Lou and Tom Ewing.  She moved to Albuquerque in 1942 and was raised by them as well as her grandparents Edna and Earl "Happy" Andrews.  
 
 She attended Bandelier Elementary, Jefferson Junior High, and Highland High where she was the editor for the school newspaper.  She attended Pomona College, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of New Mexico where she graduated with a Master of Arts in history.  
 
 She married Armen Chakerian in 1968 and moved to Cambridge, MA.  They briefly lived in Santa Fe, NM before moving to Albuquerque in 1973, where she lived for the rest of her life.  
 
 Annette was a history teacher who taught at the College of Santa Fe, Cleveland Middle School, and the Albuquerque Academy.  Fiercely protective of student-led journalism, she was the sponsor of the school newspaper at the Academy.  She was also deeply involved with introducing Facing History & Ourselves into the curriculum in the 1980's.  
 
 She retired in 2002 and had many joyful years with her grandchildren.  Being a grandmother was something she had wanted for as long as her daughters can remember.  
 
 She was a member of the Albuquerque Baha'i community from her childhood through most of her adult years.  She liked gardening, chess, photography, and travel, including countless trips to Mexico beginning in the 1940's and a trip to China in 1980.  She also enjoyed hiking and camping in the mountains.
 
 Annette had an incredibly active and brilliant mind.  She built an enormous and diverse library of books as well as classical and jazz records, and she delighted in participating in film and political discussion groups.  Always the historian, she spent time documenting her family history and telling the stories from her childhood.  She particularly loved art and had a wonderful aesthetic sense.  She created murals, collages, and books for her daughters and grandchildren.

 Annette was an exceptionally cheerful and good-natured person. She was thoughtful, well-intentioned, honest, and generous. 
 
 Her family is particularly grateful to her caregiver Jennie Dimas, who has been with her since 2019.
 
 There will be a graveside service at Fairview Memorial Park in Albuquerque on Friday, June 14th at 9:00 am.