Armena Bizios: A Dedicated Servant

Armena Bizios, pictured here with her husband, the late Hector "Middy" Bizios, both dedicated members of Saint Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church of Merrimack Valley.

Story by Richard Shahtanian
     It’s hard to miss Armena Bizios on a Sunday morning. She is usually the first parishioner to enter the sanctuary, always entering on the right side, and always taking the same seat in the pews. Armena is a deeply religious woman who attributes her long healthy life of 94 years to the following pillars: her strong Christian faith, love for her family, and over a half century of unwavering dedication and service to Saint Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church of Merrimack Valley.
     In 1958, Armena married a nice young man from Haverhill named Hector “Middy” Bizios. Middy was raised in a Haverhill Greek Orthodox church and Armena in a Haverhill Armenian Apostolic church. They grew up in the same Haverhill neighborhood near Lafayette Square which was predominately made up of French, Armenian and Greek ethnicities. Back in those days, it was expected that she would marry an Armenian. But Armena and Middy’s love for each other made it acceptable (somewhat) to go against the grain and tradition. Nevertheless, they still had to have two wedding ceremonies: one at the Greek church and one at the Armenian church.
​      They agreed to raise their family in Haverhill but were still undecided whether to raise their children in the Armenian or Greek church until a special evening changed their lives forever. Sometime in 1971, St. Gregory was hosting a fundraising/social event and Armena and Middy attended thanks to invitations from a family friend of Armena named Arev Kasparian and a friend of Middy’s from the Rockingham Racetrack named Richard “Dick” Shahtanian. Upon entering the church hall that evening, Dick hollered and waved for Middy from across the hall to come over and meet a bunch of the guys. It was there that Dick introduced Middy to a few of the St. Gregory stalwarts, specifically Michael Boloian, Sarkis Sarkisian, Jim Apovian, Greg Johnson, and Ara Shrestinian, all of whom would eventually become Middy’s lifelong friends. Middy and Armena had such a wonderful time that evening that they decided that night St. Gregory Church would be the place to call their family’s “spiritual home.”
    In the early years, as their children Charla and John attended Armenian and Sunday School, Armena and Middy became very active and supporting members of St. Gregory Church. As time passed and their kids began their adult lives (Charla became a successful attorney and is now an employment law consultant and John now works in the dental equipment industry), Armena and Middy continued serving on the Board of Trustees, Ladies Guild, ARS, Avak, Men’s Club, Food Fairs, and all the other organizations that still make our church operational today.
    In addition, Charla also recalls how her father and David Brundage were instrumental in starting the Men’s Club Scholarship Fund for St. Gregory students. However, it wasn’t until sometime around 1991 when their lives took a significant turn. Middy was approaching retirement at the former Bradlees Department Stores as a manager and Armena in typical fashion was working alongside him as a part-time department clerk and secretary also at Bradlees, when they agreed to chair the weekly St. Gregory Bingo games each and every Wednesday night which at that time was the church’s largest fundraiser.
​     Having a successful Bingo operation, which St. Gregory Church did for nearly 30 years, required significant parishioner participation to prepare and serve refreshments, sell tickets, call numbers, prepare and generate the required lottery paperwork, as well as setting up and cleaning the church hall and downstairs designated areas. Armena recalls having to leave their home around 3 p.m. on Wednesday afternoons and not returning home until well after 11 p.m. It was a true labor of love for both of them and they really enjoyed working alongside other parishioners who they called their best friends as well as talking with the bingo players, many of whom loyally attended every week.
     After Middy passed away in 2002, Armena didn’t slow down as she continued serving her church in the many capacities as she had in the past as well as attending Bible study on a regular basis. In addition, soon thereafter she volunteered to serve on the newly formed Building Committee and rarely missed a meeting, as the same can be said for everything else she participated in.
    In fact, Ann Apovian is amazed at her close friend’s dedication and resiliency: “Armena serves as an example for all of us. Her deep faith, love of God, and commitment to St. Gregory Church is second to none. For years she has worked hard in our kitchen, managed the “Country Kitchen” at our bazaars for at least 35 years, and she never complained… not once. I can’t remember her ever missing a picnic, bazaar or any other event. She brings that same work ethic to everything else she does for our church. She is simply an amazing person!”
     Often times there are only a few parishioners in the sanctuary at the very start of Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m. One person our parish priest, Rev. Fr. Stephan Baljian, can always count on seeing at 10:00 a.m. sharp is Armena Bizios. Der Stephan remarks: “Armena is in every aspect a staple of our church community. She has always been reliable for all these decades. She brings a spirit of pride and dedication to everything she does for our church, including simply attending on Sundays and rolling up her sleeves to work on countless events and projects. On the rare occasion she is absent from Sunday services or a church function, its doesn't quite feel the same without her there.”
     Armena continues keeping her body and mind in great shape. She prays at various times throughout the day and stays physically active and independent. She still enjoys golfing and participating in many other activities.
​     Armena’s memories of the last 50 plus years at St. Gregory Church are filled with endless joy and happiness. “St. Gregory was the foundation of our lives and that remains true for me today. We made lifelong friends through our church and our social life always centered around St. Gregory Church. When Middy passed away, I don’t know what I would have done without my church girls and all their love and support,” said Armena.
    Today, she prays that the younger generations can also find that same closeness and spiritual connection to St. Gregory Church as she and her generation experienced.

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Editor's Note: At the age of 94, Armena Bizios remains an active part of our church community life. During our church's 52nd Anniversary banquet in October of 2022, she was recognized for her decades of selfless dedication to Saint Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church and was issued a certificate of appreciation from His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America.

Armena’s story is written in loving memory of Tom Vartabedian, who was a dear friend, mentor, and teacher to many in the St. Gregory community.