POTSDAM – With her family by her side, Mrs. Naomi H. Balukjian, 93, of Waverly Street, peacefully passed away Wednesday afternoon, April 12, 2017 at Sunrise at Fair Oaks in Fairfax, Virginia where she has resided since January 2016.

Naomi was born December 27, 1923 in Bunola, Pennsylvania, the daughter of the late James Albert and Laura P. (Owens) Himmeger. She attended local schools in Pennsylvania, before attended and graduating from Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pa with her Bachelors of Arts Degree. She later earned her Master’s Degree in Education from SUNY Potsdam. On August 4, 1946, she married Albert A. Balukjian at the Wallace Memorial Chapel at Westminster College. He predeceased her on May 2, 2008.

Naomi was a kindergarten teacher at Potsdam Elementary School for 35 years. Prior to the opening of the Lawrence Avenue School, she taught first on the Hogansburg Reservation, then in a one-room schoolhouse on the Parishville Road. She was an active communicant of Trinity Church in Potsdam and also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star Cretona Chapter #516. She was also active within her community as a member of the Massena College Club, Clarkson Student Wives, Clarkson Women’s Club, Potsdam Teachers’ Association, St. Lawrence County AAUW, and Delta Kappa Gamma, serving as President for each of the organizations at one time. Naomi enjoyed singing in the Trinity Episcopal Church choir, hockey games, sewing and handicrafts, reading, and especially spending time with her family and friends.

Naomi is survived her children, Dr. James Balukjian and his wife, Katrina of Chicago; Margo Demirjian of Belmont, MA; and Marilyn Clerkin and her husband, COL William of Fairfax, VA; her grandchildren, Dr. Aram Demirjian and his wife, Alexis, Talinn Demirjian, Dr. Bradley Balukjian, Laura (Balukjian) Offers and her husband, Sean; and her great grandchildren, Meline, Charles, and Aram Demirjian and Chase, Stacia, and Olivia Offers. Naomi is also survived by her sisters, Martha Hager and Verna Prosser; her brother-in-law, Sarkis Balukjian and his wife, Alice of Massena; and brother-in-law, James Bonner of Watertown; and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents and her husband, she was preceded in death by her sisters, Mary McCall, June Sparks and Grace Brocksopp; and her brother, James Himmeger.

Friends may call at the Donaldson-Seymour Funeral Home, Potsdam, Monday 4:00-7:00 PM. The members of the Eastern Star will conduct a memorial ritual at 6:30 PM. A Service of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday 11:00 AM at Trinity Episcopal Church with Rev. Dr. Christopher Brown, celebrating. Burial will follow in Bayside Cemetery, Potsdam.

Memorial contributions may be made in her memory to Trinity Episcopal Church, Fall Island, Potsdam, NY 13676, or a charity of one’s choice.