Ada Haddad Kalbian, born in Jerusalem, Palestine in 1929, peacefully entered into eternal life to be reunited with God in the heavenly Jerusalem on May 21, 2019. She lived her almost 90 years on this earth with passion and love. A woman of great wit, intelligence, beauty, faith, and courage, she was devoted to her family, her friends, and the many communities of which she was a part. Born to Gabriel and Maria Haddad, Ada spent the first 19 years of her life in Jerusalem. With her parents and four brothers, she was forced to flee her beloved homeland, and find refuge in Lebanon. She spent some time in Rome where she worked as a translator for the Marshall Plan (she was fluent in 5 languages), and then returned to Lebanon where she worked as a medical secretary. Soon after that, she met the love of her life, Vicken Kalbian. Their families had known each other in Jerusalem, but it was a chance meeting in 1952 where they fell in love and two years later married. The young couple made the bold decision to return to Jerusalem, their now-divided hometown. They settled in and began building a family and career. From 1954 to 1967, they were at the center of East Jerusalem’s social and cultural life. Ada was active in a number of organizations in Jerusalem including the boards of Rawdat El Zuhur (a school for Palestinian refugee children), the YWCA, and St. John’s Ophthalmic Hospital. She was awarded a medal as a member of the Order of St. John. The harrowing experience of the 1967 Six-Day War and the reality that their lives would always be lived as second-class citizens in their own homeland led them to the biggest decision of their lives. In January of 1968, they arrived in the United States with sadness in their hearts and optimism about the life they would build for themselves and their children as Americans. Settling in Winchester, Ada embraced her new life with gusto, joining the Winchester Garden Club, several book clubs, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the boards of Fremont Street Nursery, and Catholic Charities, and several other groups. Later she served as a longtime member of the Century Club. In addition to these many activities, she maintained a beautiful home, exemplified by an exuberant spirit of hospitality. She entertained with elegance and grace, whether it was a luncheon for a diplomat or a party for neighbors on Mosby Street. In 1971, she pursued her life-long dream to earn a college degree. Beginning with an Associate Degree at Lord Fairfax Community College, she earned her B.A. in English and Library Science at Shepherd College in 1975. She worked for a number of years as a librarian at Lord Fairfax, and then for over a decade as a representative for Carlisle (a line of designer women’s clothing) and Charmelle (a line of jewelry).
Ada was passionate about all of her undertakings: cooking, entertaining, reading, attending theater and musical performances, needlepointing, traveling, discussing politics, and spending time with family. She lived a full and fascinating life which she wrote about in a beautiful memoir that she presented to her family in 2013.
Ada was preceded in death by her father Gabriel, her mother Maria, and her brothers Fernando and Jean. She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Vicken Kalbian; her children Haig and Sylva Kalbian of Fairfax VA, Aline and Bob Cross of Tallahassee, FL, and Maral and Branson McKay of Boyce, VA; and her grandchildren Laurie Kalbian, Taleen and Rafael Khanoyan, Simon McKay, Evan McKay, and Eva Claire Cross. Also surviving are her brother Raymond and his wife Patricia of Richmond, VA, and her brother Roger of Saint-Nazaire, France. She leaves behind numerous devoted nephews, nieces, and cousins all over the globe, as well as a coterie of dear friends. The family is grateful to the staff of Shenandoah Valley Westminster Canterbury, especially those on Laurel Court who took such good care of her in the last years of her life.
A funeral mass will be held at 11 am on Saturday, May 25th at St. Bridget Catholic Church, 1024 West Main Street, Berryville, VA. Her family asks that in lieu of flowers donations be made in Ada’s name to American Near East Refugee Aid (1111 14th Street, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20005; www.anera.org).