Marie Stasiak, nee Santourian, was born in Cyprus in 1926. She died in 2021 after a long, rich life in Nottingham where she was known as the local Armenian ambassador thanks to her generous hospitality and passion for Armenian history and culture. Her daughters, Danuta and Pauline, wanted to honour their mother’s love and pride in her Armenian heritage and asked those mourning her passing to make a donation to the Armenian Institute library in lieu of flowers. Over £600 has been given to help with digitalization, organizing and outreach. Marie was especially interested in the Music section of the library, as a niece of composer Hampartzoum Berberian. Marie loved classical, traditional and sacred Armenian music and would frequently ring friends and relatives to alert them to an upcoming concert, radio or television programme where Armenian music and/or an Armenian performer could be heard. The Chilingirian Quartet was a favourite group and she followed Levon’s career as if he was her own son.
Marie loved learning but was forced to stop her formal schooling when her father died. As the oldest child, her help was needed to support the family and she found a job at the Cable and Wireless company in Nicosia. Later, a friend persuaded her to take over a correspondence with a man who had been in the Polish RAF. Thinking it would improve her English, Marie began writing to Jozef Stasiak and eventually the penpals decided to marry. She joined him in Nottingham where they made their home and amazingly productive garden on Crosby Road from 1956 to 2021, something of a record these days. As daughter Pauline has written, “At first it was hard being away from her family and friends but our mother soon met other Armenians through the mystery of the Armenian network which will put you in touch with another Armenian wherever they are. She also made new, life long friends through Friary Church, and Friary’s Dorcas group of ladies who met weekly to talk, drink tea and sew.” Marie was indeed a seamstress extraordinaire and both she and Joe loved entertaining and all the preparations that went along with that for both Armenian and Polish foods.
Danuta adds that “Marie loved meeting new people. If you had never heard of Armenia or the Armenians before, you certainly would by the time you left. She told us many, many stories. Some of these stories were sad and traumatic, about the Armenian genocide and how it had impacted her, her parents and her grandparents. And some were like fairy tales with stories of orange groves that her grandfather had managed in Dörtyol in Turkey with gold bars or coins on shelves to pay the workers. And how her father had been put in prison in Cyprus because he looked like a German spy with his red hair. When the real spy was found he was released but with no apology.”
As one of the last of her generation, Marie takes an era with her and many memories. The Armenian Institute is grateful to Danuta and Pauline and their families for sharing her legacy with us.
