Longtime City Employee Leaves | Lucy Hakobian Says Goodbye

After 25 years of service to the City of South Pasadena, Lucy Hakobian is leaving to become the community services manager for the City of San Gabriel

PHOTO: City of South Pasadena | SouthPasadenan.com News | Lucy Hakobian, South Pasadena’s community services supervisor, is saying goodbye, departing after working 25-plus years for the city. She is moving on to work for the City of San Gabriel

Lucy Hakobian, South Pasadena’s community services supervisor, is saying goodbye, departing after working 25-plus years for the city.

Hakobian, who began her career as a clerk typist at the South Pasadena Senior Center, is moving on to work for the City of San Gabriel.

In the late 1990s, she was promoted to recreation coordinator for the City of South Pasadena, responsible for assisting with Senior Center programming and managing city facility rentals.

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In 2011, Hakobian moved to the city’s Recreation Center on Mission Street, where she later was promoted to community services supervisor in 2013. While still working, she returned to school to obtain a bachelors degree, followed by her masters.

“Lucy was the truest of asset to the Community Services Department, with a work ethic that is to be commended,” said Liliana Torres, the city’s community services supervisor.  “She will be missed by the entire Community Services team and the community at large.”

Technically, Hakobian worked for the City of South Pasadena 25 years and eight months, more than enough time to build a solid reputation as a dedicated employee.

“The City of San Gabriel’s gain will be South Pasadena’s loss, but I understand Lucy is leaving for family reasons so her departure is certainly understandable,” explained Steve Fjeldsted, the director of the South Pasadena Library. “Lucy devoted 25 great years of her career here and the amount of good she did for young people through the years is incalculable.”

A farewell party, paying tribute and celebrating Hakobian for all that she accomplished while employed by the City of South Pasadena, was held Wednesday at the local Senior Center, a place she was very familiar with over the years.

Hakobian now becomes the community services manager for the City of San Gabriel, taking with her vast knowledge learned over the past quarter century in South Pasadena.

“Lucy dedicated 25 years to the seniors and youth of South Pasadena,” said Sheila Pautsch, South Pasadena’s community services director. “She was very compassionate to our seniors and mentored many youth through the Youth Commission, as well as staff and Camp Med participants.”

Camp Med is a year-round after-school program at Orange Grove Park in the city.

“She is very passionate about her job and is one of the hardest working people I know,” said Pautsch about Hakobian. “She takes many years of institutional knowledge not only of the department but the City. Lucy will be missed by me, all the staff in community services as well as the community.” 

PHOTO: City of South Pasadena | SouthPasadenan.com News | Lucy Hakobian, South Pasadena’s community services supervisor, is saying goodbye, departing after working 25-plus years for the city. She is moving on to work for the City of San Gabriel