Benyamine Bahnan, 84, died Thursday, October 19, 2006, at Saint Vincent Hospital. He leaves his wife of 55 years, Mary (Yeranian) Bahnan; 7 sons, Alfred and his wife Nelly, Henri and his wife Mary Ann, Tony and his wife Hasmig, Moses and his wife Dima, Jack and his wife Susan, Gabriel and his wife Tamara, Raffi and his wife Taghreed; and his nephew Jack G. Bahnan all of Worcester; a brother, Yousef Bahnan of Syria; a sister, Khatoun Fares of Sweden; 19 grandchildren; and many nephews and nieces here and abroad. A brother, Georges Bahnan and a sister Marie Hanna predeceased him.
He was born in Veran Shahr (Basebreen), Turkey, son of Afram and Fahima (Haddad) Bahnan. When he was a small child, Benyamine’s family escaped from Turkey to Syria during the genocide. After his father’s death he took over the family bakery while just 13 years old. He served in the British Army in the Middle East. In 1951 he went to Lebanon, where he married his beloved wife, Mary and returned to Syria where they lived. In 1968 they moved back to Lebanon. In the midst of the civil war in Lebanon, he moved his family to Worcester in 1979. He established Bahnan’s Bakery on Pleasant Street in 1981, retiring in 1996. He was an active member of St. Mary’s Syrian Orthodox Church and was a loving and dedicated husband, father and friend.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, Oct. 21, at 10:00 a.m. in St. Mary’s Syrian Orthodox Church, 1 Industrial Drive, Shrewsbury. Burial will follow in St. John’s Cemetery, Worcester. Calling hours will be held at the church from 5-9 p.m., Friday. Contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to St. Mary’s Syrian Orthodox Church. Nordgren Memorial Chapel, 300 Lincoln Street is directing arrangements. For directions and on-line guestbook, please visit:
NordgrenMemorialChapel.com