Shirley Nahabedian

Shirley Nahabedian passed away peacefully on May 15, 2025 after complications following surgery. She was 78 years old. She was born and grew up in Newton Highlands, MA, one of eight children within a large extended Armenian family. Shirley lived most of her adult life in Maryland. She received her associate’s degree and spent her career working as an Administrative Assistant for multiple medical directors at both Massachusetts Eye and Ear in Boston and Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC. Throughout her career, Shirley’s rapport with the families of the children she served was important to her. She felt deeply the uncertainties and trauma the children’s parents experienced and she did her best to support them with love and compassion. Shirley loved children and volunteered at St. Ann’s Infant and Maternity Home for many years.

Shirley had many loves and interests including gardening, reading, baking, antiques, and music. In recent years, she became an expert researcher, spending time learning everything she could about the variety of medical challenges with which she was faced. She loved her time away in Bethany Beach with her husband Bob and dog Jake. Shirley’s greatest passion in life was her family, whom she loved and supported in the most beautiful ways. One of her greatest gifts was her ability to make every person she ever met feel seen, known, heard, appreciated, and loved. Her laugh was infectious.

Shirley is survived by her loving husband Robert Starr; her brother Charles; sister Jeannette Schoolsky and her husband Adam; brother David Nahabedian and his wife Lisa; sister-in-law Jane Nahabedian and her husband Bob Blumstein; stepchildren Marc and Susan Starr, and Jennifer and Shawn Sims; cherished grandchildren Zane, Malin, and Liam; many nieces and nephews whom she loved as if they were her own children; and her beloved dog Jake. Shirley is predeceased by her parents Sarkis and Lousin (Demirjian) Nahabedian; her sister Rosalie Kechejian and her husband George; her brothers Benjamin and Arthur Nahabedian; her sister Linda Lee Imperial; and her sister-in-law Barbara Nahabedian.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, June 1, 2025 at 2:00 PM at Potomac Presbyterian Church, 10301 River Road, Potomac, MD. A reception will follow immediately after the service in Fellowship Hall. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Shirley’s memory to the CLL Society (http://www.cllsociety.org).

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