"What a guy!" . . . Remembering Eddie (Serge) Bilezikian

Eddie,  our Cousin Eddie, Serge from Paris, Eddie who spoke English with a romantic French accent, who spoke fluent French and fluent Armenian, who appreciated a beautiful woman, who appreciated women, Eddie who was fearless, no matter who he confronted, from the fiercest enemies during wartime to the most  sultry of  "enemies" during peacetime, women trying to lure him into the bedroom ("Non, non!") while he was delivering freshly cleaned clothes from his father's dry cleaning/tailoring shop in Newton Centre, Eddie who was looking for the good woman, a Christian wife (when Peter told him to join Boston's Park Street Church Young Adult's Group, he found just that in the love of his life soon to be his wife Ann . . . Ann, who loved to refer to her husband Eddie as "my French lover"). . . Eddie who always joked and laughed with us kids -- he was a paratrooper in the French army; he came to this country and became a paratrooper in the United States army; he told any who challenged his beliefs or morals, "You don't show me much!"  

Marash Girl still remembers his first year in this country.  "Serge" presented us with his card:  Serge Bilezik D'Jian.  We were so impressed!  He always joked with us and laughed with us.  Because he was such a "fun" person, we children decided to put his Christmas gift (always a brand new white shirt) in a small box, then a bigger box, then a bigger box, then a bigger box.  Eddie did not disappoint us.  He started opening his gift with vigor -- flinging his arms about, feigning (or perhaps it was real) great excitement, throwing the ribbon and wrapping paper about, tossing aside the empty boxes as he reached for the smaller and smaller box until he arrived at the prize.  A brand new white shirt.  Always a brand new white shirt. And then his shouts of "surprise", joy and laughter only outdone by us -- his six little cousins at 474/476 Lowell Avenue in Newtonville, Massachusetts, many miles from his family, many miles from the Paris of his birth, but only inches away from the family who loved him so.

(The heading, "What a guy!" is attributed to Uncle Paul Bilezikian.  It's the only phrase that truly captures the totality of our cousin, now passed away, Eddie Bilezikian.)