Michael Vartabedian

Michael Vartabedian
Michael Vartabedian was born on September 5, 1937 in Brooklyn, New York; he passed away in Romeoville, Illinois on May 26, 2025. He was the second son of Benjamin and Pam Vartabedian (née Mazmanian). He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Elizabeth (Betty); his sons Matthew (Jennifer) and Andrew (Becky); his grandchildren, Emmett and Maeve; and his brothers, H. Richard and Daniel (Mary). He is preceded in death by his parents and his beloved friend, Robert Lutz.
Michael Vartabedian was born to Benjamin and Pam Vartabedian in Brooklyn, NY on September 5, 1937.
He enjoyed the freedom of the streets during his youth in Brooklyn, it had the feel of a small town at the time. He rode his bike, ran in the streets, played stick ball, he was free until sundown. His family travelled to Manhattan to attend the Armenian Evangelical Church in midtown. He talked of crossing the Brooklyn Bridge and speeding up the Bowery in the family car.
He was struck with polio in 1946; it also afflicted his brother Richard.
His care was at the Hospital for Special Surgery over the course of a year - his legs were badly damaged, one completely paralyzed and the other survived enough to provide for his movement. He became expert at navigating with brace and cane or on crutches.
On the polio wards, he met Cap Scully (a noted philanthropist) who chose him to attend Camp Aquatic near Otis, MA.
At Camp Aquatic he learned the freedom of the water, where he always felt at home. He became a lifelong swimmer until very late in life when post-polio syndrome took its toll and navigating the pool decks became dangerous. He also learned to love the outdoors, enjoying horseback riding, archery, and fishing. He helped his sons discover those sports as well.
He attended Midwood High School, remaining in the 1-level courses, where he learned to think and work hard. Like his brother Dick, he attended college at Bates College. He thrived there, serving as class President, hosting a news radio show and performing radio plays, and majoring in Economics. He graduated in 1959.
After college, he worked first as a manager in the Bell System, working in the Brooklyn office of New York Telephone. During that time he completed coursework towards a Masters in Economics at Columbia University. Later, he pursued the opportunity to attend law school through night courses at St. John's Law School.
When he transferred to the headquarters of New York Telephone offices at 140 West Street in lower Manhattan he met his wife, Elizabeth Borys, Secretary to Assistant Vice President at the time.
They courted while he was in law school, their nights to get together were dictated by the timing of his various classes, rearranging their schedule to support his studies. They always went to the Jai Alai, a small Spanish restaurant in Greenwich Village, where they would eventually host the reception for their marriage.
After he earned his law degree and became a lawyer for AT&T, he met one of his great friends, Bob Lutz. Bob and his wife Marie became as family to Michael and Elizabeth, spending holidays, vacationing, boating together on Bob's boat the Nereus. They would later celebrate each new year, all Vartabedians and Lutzes together, with a march to the nearby waterfall in Somers.
During that time he also became close friends with Jim Porter, another attorney for AT&T. Jim frequently invited Mike for a sail in his boat on Long Island Sound.
Michael and Elizabeth married in 1968.
They moved first to Hastings-on-Hudson, and later to Somers, NY, where he put down roots near a stream that fed the New York City water supply, and was a home to a mill and shoemaker in the 19th century. Somers matched the memory of his small town childhood in Brooklyn, and it was close to Manhattan, so he and Elizabeth built their lives there.
His sons were born: Matthew in 1971, Andrew in 1974.
At AT&T, he worked on the anti-trust suit against the United States Government, as well as the divestiture process.
From AT&T his friend Jim brought him on as a consultant at a New Jersey branch of AT&T, and with that safety net he was also able to build an independent, private practice in Somers.
His work in Somers was unusual. As a general practice attorney in a small town, he was able to serve his community, helping fellow residents with cases dealing with: a man accused by his neighbors of luring migrating geese to his property; a group of Pre-School teachers seeking to buy and run their school; and managing neighbor disputes involving an attempt to recreate Mt. Vernon on their property, among many others. His bread and butter work was less romantic - he helped people with everyday business issues and building plans for their estates and to manage their lives better.
He was later Elected to office in Somers, serving on the Zoning Board and the Town Board. One thrust of his service was preserving the natural beauty of the area, and preserving wetlands.
His love of nature and the water continued, as the family vacationed for over thirty years to Topsail Island, NC. There, he felt the freedom of the ocean, he would often go on long swims up and down the coast. He enjoyed the fresh shrimp caught by the local shrimp boats, carting pounds of it back to New York so he could enjoy it throughout the year.
When Matthew and his wife Jennifer built their family in Illinois, Michael and Elizabeth joined them. He established a small practice in his retirement community - again, unusual for their location - and continued work from his contacts in Somers. As his health was slowly failing, he continued to the freedom of the water in the community pool.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, his sons Matthew and Andrew, their wives Jennifer and Rebecca, and his grandchildren, Maeve and Emmett. He and Elizabeth would have been married for 57 years on December 28. Please enjoy some linguine pescatore, be sure to ask the chef to remove the shells, and chase it with some limoncello.
Memorial visitation will be held Saturday, May 31, 2025 at Anderson Memorial Homes, 21131 W Renwick Rd, Plainfield, IL 60544 from 2-4 pm, with a memorial service beginning at 3:30pm. Cremation rites have been accorded.