STEUBEN
Gabriella “Gay” Lincoln Burrage Haroutunian, 73, of Steuben died peacefully at home on Feb. 6, 2020, of heart failure.
Gay was born March 11, 1946, the last of seven children of Katharine and Walter Burrage of Brookline and Manchester, Mass. She spent much of her childhood outdoors, often planning outrageous schemes with her dear (and lifelong) friends. She attended Manchester Memorial School, the Winsor School and Commonwealth School in Boston. She received a BA in art history in 1967 from Lawrence University in Wisconsin, where she fell in love at first sight with Joe, her devoted husband of 51 years. She earned an MA in speech pathology from Boston University in 1971, then moved to rural Maine to become the first speech pathologist in Washington County schools. She and Joe welcomed two daughters and proved to be exemplary parents. Gay continued to work with children aged birth to 5, both through the Washington County Children’s Program and in private practice, until her retirement in September 2019. She shared her expertise in autism, child development and speech, language and feeding disorders through her work with the Maine Association for Infant Mental Health and the Community Caring Collaborative.
A dedicated mother, she led Girl Scout troops, supported theater and dance by designing amazing costumes and makeup and encouraged her daughters in all their interests and endeavors. She adored and was adored by her granddaughters and countless other children. She was an avid gardener and plant enthusiast, a lover of birds and a hater of porcupines. She believed in snail mail, saving things, being active and staying informed. She was a collector of frogs and the queen of silent laughter. She and Joe played Boggle and Scrabble daily, often with tied scores.
Gay battled multiple serious illnesses throughout her life, beginning with Hodgkin’s disease as a young woman. She was an incredible patient: organized, friendly, knowledgeable and upbeat, loved and respected by all her doctors and nurses. Through her many treatments and surgeries, Gay never complained and hardly ever stopped smiling; she just commanded her body to pick up the pieces and soldier on cheerfully, again and again. She was ever buoyed by her faithful “Joey,” who was always by her side, a constant caregiver and companion.
True to her name, Gay brought joy everywhere she went. She loved fiercely and unconditionally. She saw the extraordinary in everyone and had the curiosity to find beauty in everything. She used her voice to champion causes she believed in and people who needed support. Her care and interest in each person she met was completely genuine. She was a sprightly paragon of bravery, fortitude, generosity, passion and cheer. She lived life with no regrets, present in every moment, determined, productive, giving and loving, right to the end. Her heart had so much to give; it just couldn’t keep up.
She is survived by her husband, Joseph Haroutunian, of Steuben; her daughters, Maya Myers and husband, Matt, of Charlotte, N.C., and Mischa Haroutunian and husband, Charles Smith of Denver, Colo.; her granddaughters, Julia, Allie and Caroline Packard of Charlotte, and Laila and Nela Smith of Denver; her sisters, Sally Ney and partner Richard Vitzthum of Baltimore, Md., and Anita Bers of Arlington, Mass., and her brothers, Walter (“Buzz”) Burrage and wife, Helen, of Manchester, Mass., and Nick Burrage and wife, Charlotte, of Brookline, Mass.; her sister-in-law, Sophie Haroutunian-Gordon and husband, Robert Gordon, of Chicago, Ill.; 13 nieces and nephews; 23 grandnieces and nephews; and honorary daughter Caroline Rollinger and husband, Gillis Greiwe, of Hamburg, Germany. She was preceded in death by her parents and sisters Beverly and Lavinia.
Family and friends will gather to celebrate her life at 2 p.m. on May 23, 2020, at the Henry D. Moore Library in Steuben.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Washington County Children’s Program, either at P.O. Box 311, Machias, ME 04654 or at https://everloved.com/life-of/gabriella-gay-haroutunian/