William "Bill" Noraian

William M. “Bill” Noraian, 93, of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, FL and Bloomington, IL, peacefully joined his heavenly family at 5:45 am on Friday, February 18, 2022, while at Holy Cross Hospital, Ft. Lauderdale. Born Mgrditch, named after St. John the Baptist, on December 25, 1928, in Melvindale, Michigan, he was the third child of Armenian Genocide survivors, Andon and Vartanoush (nee Aghabalian) Noraian. Andon had searched for his first wife and daughter, whom he thought may have been forced to march across the desert to a concentration camp for Armenians in Deir ez-Zor, Syria. After an exhaustive search, he had no choice but to give them up as forever lost. While there, he met and later married Vartanoush.

Those who knew Bill admired his honesty and integrity, his ability to cook, and his love of children. Being born around the Great Depression, he started working as a stocker at Mel’s Grocery Store at the age of nine to help the family. Later he ascended to a butcher where he learned meat preparation, which made him an expert at preparing lamb legs for the Armenian delicacy, shish kebab. He graduated from Melvindale High School, where he played on the championship football team. Entering the U.S. Army during the Korean War, he was stationed in Sapporo, Japan, where he mastered the use of chopsticks and was Sergeant of the Officers’ Mess, which developed his culinary skills.

Upon returning from the war, he married Anahid “Anne” Asadourian on May 2, 1953.  Bill became a hydraulics apprentice at Cadillac Motorcar Company and went on to open used car dealerships around Detroit. They had a chosen baby, Dr. Kirk Noraian, whom they cherished and nurtured to reach his personal and professional dream of becoming a periodontist. Bill and Anne were devoted to each other and were inseparable for the next 53 years. Together, they taught their son that after family, there was nothing more important than an education – one that the two of them did not have the chance to get. Bill’s last wish for his granddaughters was for them to be happy.

Bill became General Manager for Dorian Ford, owned by Anne’s brother, and was the last remaining Ford dealership within the Detroit city limits at the time. Given his expertise, Ford Motor Dealer Development chose to groom him for the Ford dealership in Las Vegas, NV.  His family ties to Detroit were so strong that he and Anne decided not to relocate. Many companies sought to hire him for his unmatched fair work ethic and business acumen, and he was recruited to go into the medical laboratory business. The physicians in the group encouraged him to become his own boss; so he created Aarco Laboratory Management Company, which supported medical testing and portable radiology services across the lower peninsula of Michigan.

As a cohesive and loving family, Anne and Bill enjoyed the marriage of Dr. Kirk, to his gracious, compassionate, and caring wife, Dr. Monica Nicole Cousins, and the birth of their two granddaughters, Emma Rose Cousins Noraian and Celeste Nicole Cousins Noraian. During retirement, he left Detroit to split his time between Ft. Lauderdale and Bloomington, which allowed him to have the chance to watch his granddaughters grow and see their activities at Mulberry and the ISU lab schools. In retirement for over 30 years, he was the unofficial mayor of the Royal Coast Condominium in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, dutifully completing his fiduciary role as Condo Board President for over ten years and as Board Member for over 25 years. Bill was a proud Shriner and member of the Knights of Vartan of the Armenian Church. After Anne’s passing, he became better acquainted with LeeAnn Linder at the Royal Coast, who became his long-time companion, and they cared for each other deeply.

Bill Noraian was the loving companion of Lee Ann Linder. Dearest father of Dr. Kirk W. (Dr. Monica) Noraian. Loving “Babou” of Emma and Celeste. Dear Brother of the late John (Lucille) Noraian, and the late George (late Agnes) Noraian. Cousin of the late Jerry (late Artemis) Norian. Beloved Uncle Bill of nieces and nephews of the Noraian (Norian), Dorian, Ghazarian, and Parsigian families. He will be missed by many relatives and friends.

A visitation will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, 2022 at Kibler-Brady-Ruestman Memorial Home in Bloomington with a Dan Gark service beginning at 7:00 p.m. His funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, March 4, 2022 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Bloomington, the family will receive friends from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service.

Entombment will be in Evergreen Memorial Cemetery in Bloomington. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the donor’s choice of St. John Armenian Church in Southfield, MI, St. John’s Lutheran Church in Bloomington, or Holy Cross Health in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

The Noraian family wishes to thank Very Rev. Father Aren Jebejian and Fr. David Glesne, family and friends for their support and condolences, and appreciates the coordination of Mr. Simon Javizian and Mr. Dan Brady during this time.

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