Obituary
MANUEL - Armen Z. of Islip Terrace, passed peacefully on Monday, Feb. 5 at age 94.
Armen Zaven Manuel was born July 2, 1929 at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, the fourth child and youngest son of John Der Manuelian, an Armenian immigrant and shoemaker, and Floré D’Champagn, a French Canadian emigre and homemaker. After a childhood spent in East New York gaining a proficiency in cello and piano, Armen graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1947.
In the summer of 1957, Armen married Marie DiMartino, also of Brooklyn, and following the births of their son Peter in 1958 and daughter Bernadette in 1960, moved to Islip Terrace. Nearby in Amityville, he purchased a store space on Montauk Highway, and opened the prime butchery Armen’s Meat Market, where he served the surrounding community until its closure in 1988. Armen continued to work in butchery and electronics throughout his retirement.
Outside of his professional life, Armen kept a lifelong passion for woodworking and the visual arts, with his projects ranging from stained glass windows and wood carvings to restoring violins and creating handmade guitars. Armen gave of his talents to great effect in the homes of his family and friends, installing shelves, repairing furniture and sharpening knives for anyone who asked his help.
In his free time, Armen enjoyed playing Skip-Bo with friends, caring for his grandchildren as they grew, and driving with Marie from Islip to St. Augustine, Florida in his beloved Mercury Marquis. He also donated his time and butchery skills to the annual Thanks-4-Giving event at Runyon’s in Seaford, carving dozens of Thanksgiving turkeys for meals to be given to needy families.
