Janet Carol Marashian

January 8th, 1941 - October 18th, 2024

Beloved wife, mother and sister, devoted educator, gifted soprano, passionate animal-lover, champion of underdogs and bane of bullies, Janet Carol Marashian lived life on her own terms for more than eight decades.

Born prematurely on January 8, 1941, Janet was adopted soon after—together with her identical twin sister, Joan—by Dr. Avedian Alexander, Fresno's first Armenian dentist, and his wife, Sadie.

From an early age, Janet showed a talent for music, singing Mozart's famously difficult Queen of the Night aria at just 14. She also showed a keen sense of justice and a fierce fighting spirit.

Graduating from Fresno High School in 1958, Janet attended Fresno City College and the University of the Pacific in Stockton, from which she graduated in 1962 with a degree in Elementary Education. She began her teaching career at Marshall Elementary in Fowler, where students fondly recall her to this day.

An avid traveler, Janet first toured Europe in 1963, venturing as far as Moscow. Returning to Europe in 1966, she taught on the American military base in Worms, Germany, and studied voice at the music school in Mannheim.

Back in Fresno, Janet was drawn to her future husband, Edward Marashian, Jr., after attending a slide-show presentation of his own travels in Europe. The couple were married at Pilgrim Armenian Congregational Church in June of 1969 and had three children together.

Janet instilled a love of learning and a passion for music and the arts in her children, and was very proud that all three attended Ivy League colleges. She continued to work as a substitute teacher into her 60s and to travel at every opportunity.

In the early 1990s, Janet and Joan tracked down their birth mother, Josephine Allen (née Ponte), a member of the Portuguese-American community of Kerman. The twins forged a lasting bond with Josephine and came to identify strongly with their Portuguese roots.

Diagnosed with Alzheimers in 2017, Janet summoned her fighting spirit once more: Reading voraciously, playing brain games and taking notes, she managed to remember names, engage in conversations and retain her sharp wit until her final days.

Janet is survived by her husband, Edward, who doted on her to the end; her son Alex Marashian, his wife, Vida, and their daughters, Sadie and Lulu; her son Eddie Marashian and his husband, Fred Sala; her daughter Julianne Burk, Julianne's husband, Cord, and their daughter Flora Burk; her twin sister Joan Quintana and Joan's husband, Ben; and her half-brother, Steve Allen.

Friends and family are warmly invited to a service in celebration of Janet's memory at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 24, at Pilgrim Armenian Congregational church, 3673 N. First St., Fresno, CA, 93726. A lunch will follow in the church social hall at 12:30 p.m.