Mrs. Lillian Irene (Semonian) Scovel, a lifelong resident of Medford and beloved wife of Edward Scovel, passed away on Thursday morning, November 5, 2015. She was 88 years old.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 29, 1927, she was the beloved daughter of the late Benjamin and Ovsanna (Jandanian) Semonian, who were Armenian immigrants that came to America after fleeing their native Armenia during the genocide of 1915. Her parents first settled in Charlestown before relocating to Medford, where they bought their first home. Her dad, Benny, owned a grocery store/butcher shop in Charlestown. Lil would often recount childhood memories with such pride of her days helping out in the store when she was about 12 years old, as did her older brother, Johnny and sisters. As a young child she met her best friend, Natalie Brown, who lived a few houses away on Stanley Avenue in Medford. This was a friendship that endured 82 wonderful years. As you can imagine, they could finish each others’ sentences, and spent much of their time in uproarious laughter that was contagious. As teenagers Mom often vacationed with Natalie on Peaks Island, Maine, and told wonderful stories of their times there together.
Lillian was a graduate of Medford High School, class of 1945. She had many friends there because of her sweet disposition, kind nature, and jovial personality. While in high school she started working part-time at John Hancock Insurance Company where she continued on full-time after graduation, until almost the birth of her first child, as was the custom in the early 1950s. She was in her element working in the Back Bay of Boston, as after work she would often meet friends for dinner, and go shopping there, especially to her favorite haunt, Filene’s Basement. As fate would have it, she met the love of her life at a YMCA dance in Boston. Her future husband, Ed, was in the Navy, stationed here in Bean town. Their courtship was dreamy. The young sailor fell head over heels for Lil and was welcomed with open arms by the Semonian clan. The Semonian’s became Ed’s second family as he Ed was from Chicago and left there upon joining the Navy.
After having the wedding of her dreams, they embarked on a cross-country honeymoon in Ed’s ‘39 Ford where they saw the Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest, and other sights across America, ending in California to visit Ed’s twin brother, Dick, who lived in LA. After returning to Massachusetts, Lil & Ed soon started a family, with the birth of their first daughter, Lynn, soon to follow a son Richard, and daughter Diane in tow. Family life kept Lil pretty busy. She was the consummate wife and mother. She filled the house with love, happiness, and lots of food! For Lil, family was everything, and her children felt cherished and loved every day of their lives. Her close bonds with her parents and siblings lasted throughout her lifetime. Holidays were especially important to Lil as she liked nothing more than to host Thanksgiving and/or Christmas for the entire family. Being of Armenian descent, if fifteen people were expected, there was certainly enough food prepared lovingly for double that.
When the children were young, the Scovel family enjoyed many wonderful vacations to Niagara Falls, Newfound Lake, Cape Cod, and also a grand cross-country trip to California with pets in tow, and created beautiful memories wherever they went. Lil and Ed both loved animals, and would provide a loving home for their many darling pets.
As empty-nesters, Ed, Lil, and Ed’s brother Dick would take annual vacations to the Bahamas in Ed’s plane as both brothers were avid pilots; those were great days! Lil and Ed even visited England where their daughter, Diane, was working and spent several weeks touring London and exploring England. They loved their trip so much that they decided to take their entire family for a blow-out vacation to London in the summer of 1993. Lil loved to travel, especially with family. She loved the water, be it ocean or lake, and in her later years, Ed and Lil spent time with their son Rick, and daughter-in-law Carole, vacationing lakeside in Maine, with of course, their dog, Moe. Lil also enjoyed vacationing with her daughters, Lynn & Diane, and her grandsons, Robby, Ian, Jon, and Colin, on the ocean at Old Orchard Beach and Ocean Park, Maine. What fun they had!
She took pride in her Armenian heritage, and would attend annual Armenian holiday church bazaar’s with her family. Lil loved to visit the Museum of Science in Boston with her daughters and grandsons and wouldn’t miss going to the annual Medford carnival with them.
Lil was an avid Red Sox and Patriots fan, and never missed the Academy Awards, which she celebrated every year at her son Rick’s and daughter-in-law, Carole’s home. Lil and Carole would watch everything from the red carpet through to the final awards for best picture, while Rick and Ed talked about WWII and fell asleep, all the while eating fabulous munchies. It was a cherished annual event. Lil was a fabulous letter writer. She was fastidious in her correspondence with family and friends, both near and far. She had an uncanny ability to get to your heart with each word, which was chosen with great wisdom, love and thoughtfulness.
Lillian had a wonderful life. Above all, she was a very devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend to many. She will be so dearly missed.
Besides her beloved husband, Edward, she is survived by her loving children; Lynn Scovel Chester and her husband Robert M. Chester of Cambridge, Richard J. and his wife Carole M. Scovel of Wakefield and Diane Scovel Galvin of Waltham, grandchildren; Robert and Ian Chester and Jonathan and Colin Galvin, and siblings; Jeanette and her husband Robert Hedges of Natick. She was also the sister of the late Ruth Clerget, Julia Silkes and John Semonian and lifelong dear friend of the late Natalie Brown.
Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Joseph Church, 118 High Street, Medford on Friday, November 13, 2015, at 10 AM. Relatives and friends are most welcome to attend. Visiting hours will be held in the Beals-Geake-Magliozzi Funeral Home, 29 Governors Avenue, Medford on Thursday, November 12, 2015, from 4 to 8 PM. Interment will be held in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Medford. Donations in Lillian's memory may be made to the Armenian Relief Society, Inc. 80 Bigelow Avenue, #300, Watertown, MA 02472 website ars1910.org. For additional information, please visit, www.magliozzifuneralhome.com.