Obituary: Edward Nubar Guleserian (1937-2013)

Edward Nubar Guleserian, of Belmont and Scituate, Mass., the president of the Sheraton Commander Hotel in Cambridge, passed away suddenly on Oct. 7. It was his 76^th birthday. Just after he kissed his wife that morning, he said, “It’s a good day. It’s my birthday.”

Edward Nubar Guleserian (Photo by Mark Oristano)

His funeral was held on Oct. 10 at St. James Armenian Apostolic Church in Watertown. Officiating were Most Rev. Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate; Very Rev. Krikor H. Maksoudian; Rev. Fr. Arakel Aljalian; Rev. Fr. Arsen Barsamian; Rev. Fr. Mampre Kouzouian; Rev. Fr. Vasken Kouzouian; Rev. Fr. Krikor Sabounjian; Rev. Fr. Khachatur Kesablyan; Rev. Fr. Vard Gyozalyan; and Rev. Fr. Antranig Baljian.

Edward is survived by his wife Nancy (Aghaian) Guleserian, his daughter Dr. Kristine Jane Guleserian of Dallas, and his son Michael Edward Guleserian of Cambridge.

He is also survived by his sister Mary (Guleserian) Bergoudian, his niece Susan Hazarvartian and family, his nephew Tad Guleserian and family, his niece Joy (Guleserian) Foley and family, and his niece Melanie (Guleserian) Metz and family.

Edward was the youngest of three children born on Oct. 7, 1937 in Arlington, Mass., to Armenian immigrant parents, Dertad and Vergin (Mahseregian) Guleserian, both from Aintab, Turkey.

His christening ceremony was held at the St. James Church and was followed by a traditional shish kebab dinner at the Aghaian Farm in Sherborn, ironically the home of his future wife Nancy.

He graduated from Watertown High School in 1955 and received a Bachelor of Science degree in metallurgical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1960. After being briefly commissioned as an army artillery officer stationed at Ft. Sill, Okla., he was recruited as a metallurgist to the Bethlehem Steel Corporation in Buffalo, N.Y.

It was also in 1960, at an Aintab Convention at the Cliff Hotel in Scituate, that he met a young girl in a green sweater—Nancy Aghaian.

Ed met Nancy again at an Armenian dance held at the Sheraton Commander Hotel in 1965. After talking with her that evening, he traveled back and forth from Hamburg, N.Y., to Sherborn. Their first date was on New Year’s Day in 1966, at the Ice Capades.

In February 1967, Ed and Nancy were engaged, and on June 3 that same year they were married at the St. James Armenian Church. Their reception followed in the George Washington Ballroom at the Sheraton Commander. They were blessed with two children, Kristine Jane, now a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, and Michael Edward, the general manager of the Sheraton Commander.

After relocating to the Boston area from New York in 1969, they resided in an apartment in the Sheraton Commander Hotel. In July 1972, they bought their summer home in Scituate and several years later their current home in Belmont.

Upon his return to Boston, Ed also became active within the Armenian community and local civic organizations. He was president of the Sheraton Commander Hotel where a restaurant named Dertad’s was opened in the late 1970’s in his father’s honor. He was a Parish Council member at the St. James Church and served as bazaar chairman. He was a member and past president of the Council of Armenian Executives, a member of the St. James Men’s Club, and a member of the Mr. and Mrs. Group, where he served as treasurer for many years.

He was a former director of Catholic Charities Cambridge/Somerville, a Board member of the Greater Boston Hotel Association, treasurer of the Cambridge Hotel Association, director of the Harvard Square Business Association, treasurer and director of the Cambridge Center of Commerce, and long-time member and president of the Cambridge Rotary Club. He considered it an honor to help feed the homeless on Thanksgiving and ring the bell in Harvard Square for the Salvation Army during the holidays every year.

He also served as former president/director of Hugo’s Lighthouse Restaurant in Cohasset, corporator of the Mt. Auburn Hospital, and treasurer and director of the New England Backgammon Club. He was also a partner in Patten Manor Realty, Adams Realty Associates, and Commander Realty Associates.

For his untiring commitment to the Cambridge community, in 1997 the mayor of Cambridge designated the corner of Garden Street and Berkley Street as the Edward N. Guleserian Square. A decade later he and his wife Nancy were recognized as Parishoners of the Year at St. James Church and were honored recipients of the prestigious St. Nersess Shnorhali (the Graceful) Medal in 2007.

In 2011, his son Michael opened the restaurant Nubar in the Sheraton Commander, with the name chosen this time in Ed’s honor.

Ed’s most enjoyable times were spent relaxing at the beach house in Scituate where he shared his love of boating, fishing, and cooking with his family. He was most known for his plentiful garden, sharing his famous tomatoes, being the master of the grill, playing a good game of cards, watching his Boston/New England sports teams, and his devilish grin when joking around or playing pranks on his closest friends. Spending time with the dogs, Gigi and Gus, always brought a smile to his face. He loved his wife dearly and knew just how to push her buttons even when unprovoked. There will be no mention of casino trips or his ritual of scratching lottery tickets.

He will always be remembered for his kind heart, soft-spoken nature, selflessness, generosity, honesty, loyalty, sense of humor and, most of all, endearing love for his wife Nancy, daughter Kristine, and son Michael.

Interment was at the Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. Donations in his honor may be made to St. James Armenian Apostolic Church, 465 Mt. Auburn Street, Watertown, MA 02472.