Shirley Srpouhi Dadian

Shirley (Srpouhi) Dadian's eighty-eight-year life embodied the remarkable journey of second-generation Armenian Americans whose lives bridged the trauma of the Armenian Genocide with the establishment of thriving communities in the American Midwest. Born on December 15, 1937, to Yervant and Victoria Derder—survivors of the Armenian Genocide—Shirley was raised with what she would later describe as "a deep appreciation for faith, resilience, and the enduring strength of family." Her Armenian name, Srpouhi, meaning "saintly," would prove prophetic of a life devoted to service, faith, and love.

Shirley's parents, Yervant and Victoria Derder, were among the estimated 500,000 Ottoman Armenian survivors who found themselves displaced after the systematic destruction that claimed between 664,000 and 1.2 million Armenian lives during 1915-1916. Their survival and subsequent journey to Milwaukee placed Shirley within an Armenian-American community that, while smaller than those in Los Angeles or New York, maintained robust cultural and religious institutions. The Milwaukee Armenian community included organizations such as the Charitable and Educational Society of Tomarza, founded in 1909 by South Milwaukee congregants, demonstrating that Armenian immigration to the region and community institution-building predated Shirley's birth.

Growing up in the 1930s and 1940s, Shirley experienced the particular social position of Armenian-Americans in the Midwest. Her household provided immediate access to Armenian religious and cultural traditions through her parents' devotion and their connections to the emerging Armenian Orthodox Church community. St. John the Baptist Armenian Orthodox Church, with which Shirley would maintain a lifelong dedication, was formally established as a mission parish on October 27, 1940, when Shirley was nearly three years old. This timing suggests that the Derder family were among the founding families of this crucial community institution.

On May 31, 1958, Shirley married Archie (Hachig) Dadian at Soorp Haroutiun Armenian Apostolic Church, uniting two prominent Armenian-American families whose parents had both survived the genocide. Archie, born on August 1, 1933, in South Milwaukee to genocide survivors Nazar and Chamie Dadian, would prove to be not only a loving partner but also a man of considerable accomplishment. In 1963, Archie won the Wisconsin State Amateur Golf Championship at Blue Mound Golf and Country Club, defeating Ralph "Butch" Schlicht by a score of 4 and 3. His athletic achievements culminated in 1980 when he was inducted into the Wisconsin State Golf Association Hall of Fame as the first public links player to receive this honor.

Shirley and Archie's partnership, described as "a family rooted in love," would span sixty-four years and produce four children: Laurie, Lisa (Bryan), Lyle (Nicole), and Larry (Tanya). Their household became the nurturing ground for eight grandchildren—Jordan, Nicholas, Victoria, Luc, Leo, Sammy, Talia, and Jack—who would become Shirley's "greatest joys." The fact that all four children survived to adulthood and themselves became parents represented a profound reversal of the demographic catastrophe that the genocide had inflicted on Armenian families.

Throughout her adult life, Shirley was "a woman of deep faith" and "a lifelong and dedicated member of St. John the Baptist Armenian Orthodox Church" in Greenfield, Wisconsin. She "faithfully sang in the choir each Sunday," participating not merely as a congregant but as an active contributor to the church's liturgical life. Her service extended beyond Sunday worship as she "gave generously of her time and talents—especially in the kitchen—helping prepare and bake for Armenian Fest and countless church gatherings." Armenian Fest, an annual July celebration in the Milwaukee area, served as a major occasion for the community to celebrate their heritage and welcome others into Armenian cultural expression.

Shirley's professional life centered on her career with the South Milwaukee School District, from which she retired in 1998 after forming "lasting friendships" and taking "great pride in her work." These collegial relationships endured throughout her retirement, as evidenced by regular monthly luncheons with former colleagues. Her commitment to education continued through volunteer service on the district scholarship committee for many years after retirement, demonstrating her ongoing dedication to student success and educational opportunity.

One of the most significant events in Shirley's later life occurred in 2008, when she "fulfilled a lifelong dream with a pilgrimage to Armenia—carrying the memories of her parents with her." For the seventy-year-old Shirley, this journey represented far more than tourism. Walking on Armenian soil and praying in ancient churches was described as "a profoundly moving and sacred experience" that "deepened her already strong faith and gave her a lasting sense of connection, peace, and pride in her heritage." This pilgrimage served as an intergenerational spiritual act, allowing Shirley to honor her parents' experiences and establish her own connection to the Armenian homeland they had lost.

Perhaps nowhere did Shirley's personality manifest more vividly than through her relationship with food and cooking. She "had a true gift in the kitchen and found great joy in feeding others," preparing traditional Armenian specialties including freshly baked Keteh, Easter choreg, and Yalanchi Sarma alongside American favorites like banana bread. Keteh, a traditional Armenian bread particularly associated with Easter celebrations, requires considerable skill involving the careful mixing of flour, evaporated milk, eggs, butter, and sugar. Yalanchi Sarma, consisting of grape leaves stuffed with a rice filling flavored with lemon and spices, represents one of the most labor-intensive Armenian dishes, requiring the rolling of dozens of grape leaves with precision and care.

The obituary's observation that "her freezer was never empty—always stocked with food made with love" captured Shirley's generous disposition and her cultural understanding that hospitality, particularly the offering of food, represents a primary expression of care and community belonging. For Shirley, "food was more than nourishment—it was her love language," reflecting both practical household management skills and deeper Armenian cultural values in which the preparation of food for family members and guests represents one of the primary ways women traditionally expressed care and maintained family bonds.

Shirley was known throughout her community for her "gentle, thoughtful, and positive spirit" and her "quiet strength." She possessed "a warm smile, and a way of making everyone feel welcomed, cared for, and at peace," qualities that suggested significant emotional intelligence and genuine interest in others' wellbeing. Her life was characterized as "a reflection of grace, generosity, and deep love for others," with her faith manifesting "not only something she practiced, but something she lived every day through kindness, humility, and service to others."

The final chapter of Shirley's life was marked by profound loss when Archie died on September 23, 2022, after a two-year battle with cancer. This loss, occurring just months before Shirley's own death, meant that she spent her final years without the partner who had shared virtually her entire adult life. Shirley passed away peacefully on March 27, 2026, "surrounded by her family" at the age of eighty-eight.

Her funeral was held on Saturday, April 4, 2026, at St. John the Baptist Armenian Orthodox Church in Greenfield, with burial following at Highland Memorial Park in New Berlin, Wisconsin, a cemetery serving southeastern Wisconsin families since 1928. A hokejash (memorial luncheon) was held following the burial, maintaining the Armenian tradition of gathering to share meals, exchange memories, and support the bereaved family. The family requested that memorial contributions be made to St. John the Baptist Armenian Orthodox Church, reflecting the primacy of the church in Shirley's life and values.

Shirley (Srpouhi) Dadian's life represents a remarkable arc of American Armenian experience, encompassing the inheritance of genocide survival, successful integration into American society, deep commitment to religious faith, and dedicated service to others. Her legacy extends through four children, eight grandchildren, and countless community members whose lives were enriched by her generosity, culinary talents, and quiet spiritual strength. For children of genocide survivors, her life demonstrates the resilience of Armenian identity, faith, and family values across historical trauma, representing a profound triumph of love and community over the forces of destruction that her parents had endured.