Rusudana G. Saakova

Rusudana G. Saakova, 91, died Friday, May 12, 2023 in Wichita, Kansas. She was an accomplished engineer, loving wife, mother, and grandmother. Rusudana was born in Tbilisi, Georgia on July 21, 1931. She raised two daughters, Natalie and Marianna, with her husband Sergei in Yerevan, Armenia and then immigrated to Durham, North Carolina in 1993. She is the granddaughter of Armenian genocide survivors and embodied her heritage through her communal and compassionate spirit. Rusudana was the center of her family - her door was always open with a hot meal waiting for her loved ones. Alongside her excellent cooking, she will be remembered for her unyielding generosity, elegant fashion taste, and sincere, beautiful smile. She is preceded in death by her husband, Sergei Matinyan; parents, Grigory and Teresa Saakov; and her sister, Irina Vartanov.Rusudana is survived by her daughters, Natalie Soultanian (Daniel) of Wichita and Marianna Matinyan (Eric Gheysels) of Washington, DC; grandchildren, Nick Matinyan and Tommy Soultanian; nephew, Yuri Vartanov; and niece, Marina Vartanov and their children and grandchildren.A private memorial will be held at her family home in Wichita, KS, followed by a funeral in North Carolina.Services in care of Downing & Lahey Mortuary - East Chapel.