YEREVAN—The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau announced on Sunday the untimely death of the Director of the ARF Bureau’s Yerevan office, unger Vahe Haroutunian.
The ARF Bureau—on behalf of the ARF and all of its bodies around the world—also extended its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of unger Haroutunian.
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Khosroff Adanalian, a jeweler from Winchester, Massachusetts, died on August 6 from complications of congestive heart failure. He was 79 years old.
Khosroff was born on October 7, 1938 in Aleppo, Syria. His mother, Lusiné, fled Urfa with her family and evaded genocide. His father, Garabed, who was a civil engineer, was a native of Aleppo. He grew up on the sidelines of the dust clouds and turbulence of war which ravaged much of the world and plagued millions of people throughout the Middle East. Although his upbringing was not impoverished, he and his siblings learned to do without.
Khosroff received his schooling at the Junior College of the Mkhitarist Order, which he attested was the greatest education a young Armenian raised in Aleppo could have. In subsequent years he would yearn to meet fellow Mkhitarian scholars, and would immediately form a common bond with anyone who shared that identity.
In 1957, his family relocated to Beirut, Lebanon, where he would remain for 12 years. Shortly after the age of 20, Khosroff began to work in various sales-related jobs. For a while he worked as a clerk in a small electronics shop, and once claimed to have sold a wristwatch to the song diva, Fairuz. Later he landed a position with the Jiraco Company, a wholesale manufacturer of jewelry and distributor of Swiss watches throughout the Middle East. After serving in various capacities in the company for many years, he eventually became the chief buyer of watches, traveling to Switzerland and back on a frequent basis. His multicultural education was learned in his travels across Europe by train, car, or on foot. He put his fluency in French to maximum use, and quickly learned German as a supplemental language.
For a short time Khosroff lived in Germany and Switzerland. He saw the need to complete his knowledge of the wristwatch business by learning the craft of watchmaking. In the mid 1960s, he was awarded a sponsorship from the Doxa watch company to complete an intensive watchmaking certification course in Lausanne. He would later use this certification as a key advantage in reselling timepieces and, later on, as a means to earn a steady, reliable income in the United States.
In February 1969, Khosroff became the first from his immediate family to move to the United States and would pave the way for their emigration years later. Shortly after his arrival in Boston he found a well-paying job at a small jewelry store in Brookline’s Washington Square on the watch repair bench. He operated a jewelry store in Patterson, New Jersey for several months before the love of his life, Linda, tempted him back to Boston.
In May 1970, he married Linda of Arlington, the daughter of grocer Hagop Rousyan and his wife Clara, both genocide survivors from Kharpert province. For nearly two years, they lived in a small one-bedroom apartment just above Hagop’s Cedar Market, close to Davis Square in Somerville. Shortly before the birth of their first son Christian in 1972, they relocated to a two-family historical house in Winchester. Khosroff’s second business, Winchester Jewelers, was purchased some months prior to their move.
The couple worked there while simultaneously forming their family until 1975, when the business moved to Lexington and assumed a new name, Jewels At The Mews. That same year their second son, Sevan, was born. Over the years Khosroff earned a high reputation for selling exquisite handmade gold jewelry pieces and being a reseller of Swiss watches, introducing brands such as Raymond Weil and Movado to a customer base that was more acquainted with Timex.
Khosroff was not only an exceptional watchmaker but also a master goldsmith. He was known for creating one-of-a kind handmade pieces from green or yellow 18 karat gold that he himself alloyed. He experimented with light manufacturing by producing jewelry using the lost-wax casting method, something that none of his local competitors was doing at the time.
Khosroff would remain a fixture in Lexington’s business community for over three decades and earned wide respect from local business owners and a dedicated multicultural customer base. In 1993, Khosroff moved his store to Mass Ave, a goal he had set for himself since he arrived in town, and renamed the business Kosroff’s Jewelry. The store closed in 2010.
One of Khosroff’s favorite pastimes was making home renovations. In 1979 he and Linda purchased their second home in a forested Winchester neighborhood near the Lexington line. Just days after moving in Khosroff gripped the sledgehammer and began demolishing the kitchen. Nearly every room in the house would undergo some kind of transformation over the years. Interior and exterior walls were repainted, floors were redone, walls were knocked down, decks were built, a closed balcony constructed, rooms expanded, bathrooms modernized, screen houses erected, patios laid, asphalt paved. He completed nearly all the projects with the assistance of friends and sometimes his sons.
When he was younger Khosroff took pleasure fishing with his brother Jacques on his cruiser in Buzzards Bay during summer weekends. He also enjoyed driving through the New England countryside on Sunday afternoons, usually in search for farm stands. He always bought a few pounds of cucumbers wherever he stopped.
Khosroff was a man of deep convictions and interests. As an impressionable young man Khosroff embraced the socialist platform of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and served in the party for several years in Lebanon and quite actively in the United States. He was instrumental in the creation of the Hamazkayin Cultural and Educational Society of Boston in the early 1970s which is active to this day. He spoke very fondly of his years as a Homenetmen scout in Aleppo.
But, above all else, he put the interests and comfort of his family first. He loved his mother, father, and siblings dearly, and he cherished his first cousins, who were like brothers and sisters to him. He spoke of them all very fondly, with praise and deep respect.
Khosroff had an encyclopedic memory of Armenian history and culture and was not squeamish about debating circumstances related to Armenia’s past triumphs, losses, and milestones. He appreciated literature and often cited Malkhas’s Zartonk as his favorite work. He was fascinated by practiced as well as outdated religions, especially those related to Zoroastrianism.
Khosroff, with his distinctive moustache, and that Dunhill cigarette permanently affixed between his fingers, was a master conversationalist and could effortlessly speak about myriad topics, from politics to culture to music to world affairs. During the course of a single day it would not be unusual to hear him speak Armenian, English, French, Arabic, and even Turkish with customers and friends in the store. And he had an extraordinary talent for storytelling. His memory was vivid and he could recall events from 30 years prior or longer as if only a day had passed. The stories were more like testimonies and were centered on his countless, sometimes zany, adventures throughout Europe and the Middle East.
Khosroff struck friendships with people from all walks of life and ethnicities. With his female customers, he was debonair and flirty. And his outgoing nature, coupled with his eccentric humor, attracted people from all walks of life, turning the back room of the store into a social club. His gritty, Ernie-like laugh was contagious. His storytelling style was captivating, partly due to his charming accent and the way he told the narrative so fondly, while his thumb caressed the cigarette he held between his crossed hands, as he sat at a table, elbows resting on the surface. He just loved engaging people, and he appreciated being engaged by others and, especially, learning from them.
We are blessed to have loved Khosroff and are grateful to have bathed in the sunlight of his love and benevolence. Khosroff will be remembered for generations in the same way he honored all those so close to him, though the art of storytelling and camaraderie. We rejoice as he embarks on his new journey in serenity.
Khosroff is survived by his wife Linda, his sons Christian and Sevan, his brother Jacques and his family, his sister Meliné and her family, and the many extended members of the Adanalian, Sarkissian, Maghakian, and Chaglassian clans.
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Armen Bagdasarian was born on December 26, 1939 in Hamadan, Iran to genocide survivors Galoust Baghdassarian of Trebizond, a fedayee who fought in the battle of Bashabaran and Dikranouhi Baghdassarian, of Ordu, who was a nurse during the Armenian Genocide. He was immensely proud to be a part of such a tight-knit family of survivors, and had a brother Ardashes Baghdassarian who was nine years his senior, and an adopted sister named Arsenouhi Baghdassarian. Sadly, Armen lost his father to lung disease in 1946 when he was six years old which brought many difficulties to the family. Fortunately, through the support of his hardworking mother, Armen was able grow up with his aunts, cousins, and immediate family in Hamadan, until the family decided to move to Tehran where he attended Koushesh Davitian Armenian school. Armen was an excellent student especially in mathematics, and a member of Tehran’s HMEM Ararat Miutiun as a scout and athlete.
Armen was an excellent athlete in swimming and boxing, who became a champion “akhoyan” of all Iran, though he was unable to participate in the Olympics because of financial difficulties. As an active member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, he was involved in many of the activities of the Tashnagtsutiun and was an active member in Tehran and in Kuwait. He traveled to Beirut in 1958 and then moved to Kuwait which led him to eventually move to the United States on July 4, 1966 as a Civil Engineering student.
Armen saw the opportunity to move to San Francisco, California and worked as a waiter at George Mardikian’s “Omar Khayam’s” restaurant with many of his fellow Armenian immigrant students who, to this day, remain a tightly knit band of brothers. In 1968, he married the love of his life, Rita Yaghoubian and they were blessed with two daughters, Sevana and Ani.
His quiet leadership and incredible work ethic as an active member of the San Francisco Armenian community set an example to many. As an integral part of the founding and building of Krouzian Zekarian Vasbouragan School, he worked diligently to ensure that generations of Armenian youth would grow up in the hearth and “ojakh” of Armenian education. As the Chairman of St. Gregory’s Armenian Church Board he saw the creation and growth of a community that he loved. Armen was also an active member of the Triple X Armenian Fraternity.
Simply put, his dedication to the San Francisco Bay Area Armenian community was profound; he was part of a generation of leaders who sprouted the seeds of Armenian culture, heritage, with dedication to the preservation the Armenian language and the church. However, beyond his many years as an Engineer and community member, his biggest achievement was the dedication to his wife and family.
Armen Bagdasarian is survived by his wife, Rita Bagdasarian, his daughters Ani Semerjian and Sevana Panosian, his sons in law Mark Semerjian and Eric Panosian, his grandchildren Areni and Sophene Panosian and Noemie and Armen Semerjian.
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“While the prudent stand and ponder, the fool has already crossed the river.”
It is with this quote from my father’s favorite book by the revolutionary Armenian writer Raffi, that I will attempt to summarize the life of the man who made the most positive and lasting impact on my life. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my father is being buried on Armenian Independence Day, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the book on my father’s nightstand until his last breath was Raffi’s “Khentuh.”
A little more than ten years ago, I noticed my father would get bored in the evenings. We were downstairs eating oranges and chatting so I jokingly asked him, “Bab, if you’re bored, why don’t you rejoin the ranks of the ARF? Kna Tashnagtsagan yeghir. You can go to meetings at night with your friends.”
His answer was: “Took ek eem Tashnagtutiunuh.” (“You are my Federation.”)
These words are a testament to his unconditional love for our family. The strength we have, our independent thinking, our love of life, and love for all things Armenian come from a man whose biggest and most profound investment was that of love and guidance for his daughters. Ir “martinuh” ir zenkuh menk eyink. (Translation: We were his rifle, his “martin.”)
His love and loyalty to my mother was evident to me and my sister throughout our lives. His adoration for my mother was profound, and he loved her so much that, like the King in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, he would not “allow the winds of heaven to sit upon her face lightly.” His chivalrous protection of her was nothing short of the knights described in Arthurian legends.
His unconditional and profound love for me and my sister was evident through simple acts and pieces of advice he would share. He was immensely proud of Ani and always referred to her as “Aniss.” His advice was simple—to find a profession that we love, surround ourselves with the Armenian community, and be aware of our strengths and our weaknesses. I remembered back almost 30 years ago when my dad was hit by a car in front of my friend Mia’s house. As I saw his body covered by bandages and as he was being placed on a stretcher he said, “Sevo jan bagh eh, jackedud hakir.” (“Sevo jan, it’s cold, wear your jacket.”) If something bothered me, I would often vent to him, and he would tell me: “Sari bess yeghir, yerp klkhut choor tapen togh ichneh minchev vodkerut.” Translation: “Be like a mountain. When they pour water on your head let it flow down to your feet.”
He taught me to collect pens because they were our greatest weapons, to question authority, to always strengthen myself intellectually, to surround ourselves with good friends and to always be close to my sister…
He taught me to collect pens because they were our greatest weapons, to question authority, to always strengthen myself intellectually, to surround ourselves with good friends and to always be close to my sister—his baby who carries the torch as a member of the ARF in Philadelphia. A few pockets of his life, however, were shrouded in mystery. As he began his battle with dementia, I began to ask him about his stories. I asked him questions about his visits to Beirut to which he answered, “Ad paneri masin chenk khoser.” (We don’t speak about those things.”) He kept his promise to secrecy even during his battles with memory loss, and this is why I will never forget my father’s resilience, strength, and love for the Armenian cause.
His love for his pesas (son-in-laws) was often shown in ways that only Eric and Mark could understand. His inside jokes and nicknames were one thing, but the fact remains that he loved them as his own. When he first met Eric, he gave him a book called “Inch bidi kidna Yeridasart Tashnagtzaganuh” (What a young Tashnagtzagan needs to know”) and whispered to me, “Mekich es girkuh gartah lav glini.” (“It will be good to read this book.”) A few weeks ago when Eric and I went to visit him, Eric bent down to tuck him in bed, and my dad said “Eric, lav dghah es.” (“Eric, you’re a good guy.”) When we FaceTimed with Mark and Ani, he would still joke around with Mark and through his humor, show his total love for the pesa who married his baby girl.
His love for his nephew Galoust was sincere. The other night when Ani was putting together a collage, she noticed how much he loved my cousin. In their years in Kuwait, or their chats on the phone, or their short visits to LA, my dad adored Galoust as the one son he never had.
Finally, and probably most importantly, his earnest love for his grandchildren was a love that was shown in small daily acts. The caregivers at his memory care facility said he would kiss photos of the grandkids every morning and say thank you to God. He would carve pumpkins with a communist hat on his head. He would help Areni with math and eat ice cream sandwiches.; Sophene her Armenian reading and how to make a gourmet sandwich and share his theories about world history. As he battled dementia, he would watch Areni at swim practice and keep tallies of her laps; as she swam, he would put his hands up and say, “Park kezi, park, park Asdoodzo.” (“Thank you, and thanks to God.”) He would take Sophene on her scooter, and as she would ride on the reservoir in front of their home, he would watch with awe and then go for a ride himself. He talked of beautiful Noemie and always said she had the kindest soul and sweetest voice, and he always said that his namesake Armen, was his carbon copy who would one day make the family proud. The last time he was with all four of the children he said, “I don’t know what I did in my life to be so lucky.”
The answer to that is, he cared for the community so much and gave his family unconditional love. Pure and simple.
It is ironic that my father was a structural engineer because he was the structural strength of our family. He was, in essence, the foundation which took the most stress, the most pressure, and the most tension in our family, and his emotional ductility bent with whatever force was placed against him.
He loved his friends, who also loved him, and until his dying days, they visited him and read to him to make him feel like himself again. I will never forget the joy on his face when he would say “Enishten yev Yezniguh yegan” or when he pointed to a photo of Haig Mekhjian and smiled big smile. He was respected as an engineer and mentor to so many, and I am receiving texts and emails to confirm what I already know—that my father was a great man.
As a boxer, my father always said that he was a good fighter because he knew how to exhaust his opponent by taking the most punches. Those punches could have been from the trials and tribulations of his life or the daily battles to remember the words to his favorite song, ironically called “Unforgettable.” The brain trauma he sustained as the Homenetmen champion and akhoyan of Iran was something that he was immensely proud of. His love of scouting was also clear. He was the ultimate example of the scout described in the Armenian scoutagan kaylerk:
Ov hay ari nakh partstratsir
Marmnov mdkov hsga tartsir
Jank jeekk tape too amen or
Kordzatreloo parik muh nor
Translation: “Armenian youth, always raise yourself, with your body and mind always embolden yourself, toil through your daily life so you can serve and do good deeds for others.”
My father lived, breathed, and manifested the words of that song until his dying day.
However, the punches he sustained as a boxer caused immense suffering at the end of his life. The punches he took during the last year and a half of his life were too much for this heroic man. Until his final breath, as I held his hand, he tried to dodge the right hooks of dementia and pneumonia. Struggling to breathe, he was too weak to swallow his last communion. I pray that he knew how much we adored him. But it was too much. He was ready for his independence, and tonight, on the eve of Armenian Independence Day, I pray that our dear, loving, heroic, humble father is freed from of the shackles of of the intellectual and physical loss of dementia as he “crosses the river” to enter the gates of Heaven.
Click here to read the obituary for Armen Bagdasarian.
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Myron Seamone Konjoyan passed on Sept. 13, 2018 after a short illness. Konjoyan was born May 7, 1931 in Oakland, California and grew up in Glendale
Nicknamed “Rocky,” he was a basketball star at Hoover High School and attended Glendale College. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. After his discharge, he married Arax Tulanian in 1955. He would go on to start two successful businesses: The Rheem Patio in Moraga, California and later Konjoyan’s Oriental Rugs in Lafayette, California.
Konjoyan was an active member of the Armenian Triple X Fraternity, in which he held leadership positions in his chapter. He was also a faithful member of St. Vartan’s Apostolic Church in Oakland and a former chairman of its trustees.
He was a passionate University of Southern California (USC) football fan and never missed a televised game. But his number-one focus was always his family;during his illness, he considered his family “shots of penicillin.”
Konjoyan is survived by his wife, Arax, sons Jon and David, daughter Nancy Kurkjian, daughter-in-law Pamela Madieros, son-in-law Rick Kurkjian, grandchildren, Karly and Adam Kurkjian and brother, Norman Konjoyan.
Though Konjoyan will be greatly missed, he now has the best seat in the house for every USC game.
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Rose Vartanoush (Peligian) Derderian, 98, of Indian Orchard, died Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018 at Baystate Medical Center.
Born in Giligia (Adana), Armenia on Sept. 15, 1920, she was the daughter of the late Sarkis & Vartenie (Bourgoujian) Peligian. She lived briefly in Massena, New York and grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, where she was a graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School. She married Harry (Hayabed) Derderian in 1939 and settled down in Indian Orchard, Massachusetts.
Rose worked as an accounting clerk for the former Cromwell, Alamac and Mayfair Mills in Indian Orchard. She was a faithful member of St. Gregory’s Armenian Apostolic Church. Rose was also a member of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) and served for 25 years on the Indian Orchard Citizens’ Council. She was recognized by the State House of Representatives and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal for her 25 years of service including terms as a member of the Council Board of Directors.
Rose enjoyed gardening, sewing, baking, reading, crocheting, knitting and reading Tom Vartabedian’s columns in the Armenian Weekly.
She was the wife of the late Harry Derderian and sister of the late Peter Peligian, Alexander Peligian and Zaroohie Koshgarian, all of Providence.
She is survived by a son, Harry Derderian, Jr. (Margo) of Farmington Hills, Michigan; a daughter, Marion Merigian (Mike) of Indian Orchard; as well as three grandchildren, Kristen (David) Shahrigian, Kara (Alex) Sarafian and Armen (Talin) Derderian; nine great-grandchildren, Armen, Taleen, Aram and Tamar Shahrigian, Ani and Alina Sarafian, Sevana, Daron and Datev Derderian, and her protector, Kool.
Donations in Rose’s memory were made to St. Gregory’s Armenian Apostolic Church (135 Goodwin Street, Indian Orchard, Massachusetts).
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Jack DerAvedisian, owner of Omni Foods in Watertown, died on October 23, 2018. He was the beloved husband of Thelma (Melkonian) DerAvedisian of 68 years and a devoted father to Suren DerAvedisian and his wife Sharon and Christine Mardoian and her husband Jack. DerAvedisian was the loving grandfather of Kirk and his wife Tamar; Alec, Melineh and her husband Kevork Chavoush; Adam and Adrineh. He was also blessed with two great grandchildren. Jack was the brother of Helen Dooley, Sonia DerAvedisian and the late Ralph DerAvedisian. He was also survived by several nieces and nephews.
Jack was employed by the Star Market grocery stores for thirty-five years, starting off as a clerk and working his way up to becoming Executive Vice-President of Retail Store Operations. After he retired from Star Market, he opened his own grocery store chain with his wife. They started their first store in Gilford, New Hampshire, and later expanded into Massachusetts as Omni Foods. During this time, Jack was highlighted in a special feature broadcast by CNN’s Neil Cavuto as a businessman of the highest ethics and business standards. Jack kept employees of the Chestnut Hill Omni Foods store at full pay and benefits when it was damaged and forced to close for many months after a fire destroyed the shopping center. Jack was also proud of his Armenian ancestry and heritage; he was a leading member of the group which built the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center (ACEC) in Watertown that opened in 1980. Among his many awards and honors, Jack was awarded the title of Prince of Cilicia, the highest award given by the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia. Jack was also a member of the Council of Armenian Executives.
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Our mother was born in Yerevan, Armenia. She was named Ziazan, which means rainbow—a symbol of new beginnings and new hope since she was born the day after the anniversary of Armenia’s independence: May 28, 1920.
She was the first child of Arshak and Vartanoush Saroukhanian. Her father was an active member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) and worked toward the independence of Armenia. Her mother was a survivor of the Armenian Genocide. As a military family, they had to constantly relocate. Her life began in Armenia; during the Russian occupation, her family was sent into exile in Astrakhan, Russia on the Caspian Sea. The family fled for freedom to Tabriz, Iran.
Mom was 15 years old when her father was assassinated. Her formal education was interrupted as she needed to help care for her three brothers and support the family. Mom was hired as an apprentice in a friend’s compounding pharmacy, where she would follow recipes to prepare formulations for headaches and manually fill tubes of toothpaste. Then she picked up tailoring and took lessons from a local Armenian seamstress to sew dresses for herself as a hobby. This became mom’s creative outlet as well as her profession.
Mom met Dad, Galust, at a private party in Tehran, Iran. After three months of courtship, they were married on September 16, 1953. They had two daughters, Lida and Edna. Mom and Dad were loving parents, who remained married together for 65 years.
Mom came to the US in 1970 with her family. She attended night school for English as a second language. She was interested in world politics, and she would read both the Armenian Hairenik newspaper as well as local papers. She also took sewing classes to learn pattern making, refined tailoring methods and couture design, all using industrial machines, and thereby making herself employable in a new country. Her sewing métier was quite marketable; she was hired as a sample maker for several boutiques in Manhattan’s Fashion District.
Mom was a dedicated and supportive parent. She made many school uniforms and tailored many of her daughters’ clothes from her patterns. When Edna was a graduate student, Mom took the train from New York to Philadelphia to stay with her and help her adjust to life away from home for the first time. Mom enjoyed meeting her daughters’ friends from elementary school years up to graduate school years. Her benevolent heart continues to be appreciated to this day by one of Lida’s graduate school friends, who Mom housed and nurtured during a difficult time. Mom had a soft spot for vulnerable people and gave them new beginnings and hope.
Mom was loving, empathetic, sincere and bright. She was a polyglot and spoke Armenian, English, French, Russian and Farsi.
We appreciate all the sacrifices you have made for our family, Mom—raising us and then taking care of our children as we built our own lives. We love and cherish you always.
Ziazan Antonian is survived by her husband Galust Antonian, daughters Lida and Edna, brothers Haroutun and Kayzer, and grandchildren Charlotte, Emily, Andrew and David. She was predeceased by her brother Hamayak.
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Renowned scholar and author Anahide Ter Minassian died at her home in Fresnes on February 11. She was 85. Ter Minassian was a historian and a lecturer at the École des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales and Paris I University. The contemporary history of pre- and post-Soviet Armenia was the main focus of her prolific scholarship.
Ter Minassian, née Kevonian, was born in 1933 in Paris in the district of Belleville. Her parents, Levon Kevonian and Armenouhie Der-Garabédian, were stateless Armenians with Nansen passports; they were refugees in Belleville in the 1920s. Anahide’s parents taught her the Armenian language at the age of seven. Later, she married Leon Ter Minassian, the son of defense and interior minister in the First Republic of Armenia, Roupen Ter Minassian, whose most famous writing is “Memoirs of an Armenian Revolutionary” condensed into the English language book, “Armenian Freedom Fighters” by James G. Mandalian.
Anahide Ter Minassian is the author of many books, including La Question arménienne (Marseille, 1983); Nationalism and Socialism in the Armenian Revolutionary Movement (1887-1912) (Cambridge, Mass., 1984); 1918-1920-La République d’Arménie (Bruxelles, 1989, 2006); Histoires croisées: diaspora, Arménie, Transcaucasie (Marseille, 1997); Smyrne, la ville oubliée?: mémoires d’un grand port ottoman, 1830-1930 (editions Autrement, 2006); Nos terres d’enfance, l’Arménie des souvenirs, avec Houri Varjabédian (Marseille, 2010).
She is survived by her four children, Roupen, Aram, Vahé and Taline and brother Kegham Kevonian. Her daughter, Taline, is also a notable Armenian historian.
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Louisa (Kalikian) Kazandjian was born in 1921 in Bucharest, Romania. She was the oldest child of Hagop and Haigui (Artinian) Kalikian. She died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, at the Armenian Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Boston, Mass. on February 12, 2019, at 97 years of age.
The story of Louisa Kalikian Kazandjian’s life, like that of many Armenians born near the turn of the twentieth century, spans continents and cultures. Her parents’ families both hailed from Western Armenia, then a part of the Ottoman Empire. As ethnic persecution grew in the region, it became less safe for Armenians, and both families fled, at different times, to Romania.
Louisa’s parents, Hagop and Haigui, met and married in Bucharest, where Louisa was born in 1921. They joined a robust and growing working class Armenian population forming in the city. Armenians are, if anything, a resilient people, and this community, like the other pockets of Diasporans across the globe, built a vibrant network of churches, schools and specialty shops.
These were relatively peaceful times for the Kalikian family. Louisa’s parents made their livelihood running a grocery store in a suburb of Bucharest, and from 12 years old until she was 22, Louisa worked there alongside her two younger brothers, Garabed and Aram. She was introduced to European history and art by her mother and educated about the homeland by her father. The children grew up hearing many stories about the “Old Country,” the history of her people, as well as the genocide that had forced them to flee. During this time, Louisa attended Armenian school in Romania, where she was taught to love and cherish her heritage, culture and mother tongue. Her teacher was the late Catholicos of All Armenians, Vazgen I.
When she was 14 years old, Louisa’s father suffered a massive stroke and was unable to continue managing the family store. Though she had many interests and loved going to school, Louisa was forced to abandon her education after the eighth grade and assume many adult responsibilities, so that her family might survive.
The 1940s were a time of great tragedy in world history, and sadly, the Kalikian family was no exception. In 1943, seven years after his stroke, Louisa’s father died. Soon after, her brother Garabed succumbed to pneumonia—a death which could have been avoided had the family had access to penicillin. She hardly had any time to grieve, when a bone infection took her mother, as well—another death preventable by penicillin. Louisa would later recall this painful time of her life to her children, sharing with them her many fruitless journeys out into the freezing cold in search of the now-ubiquitous drug that could have saved both her brother and mother. By 1945, Louisa, now aged 24, had only her youngest brother, Aram.
After World War II, Romania gave way to Sovietization. Private ownership became illegal, and the Kalikians’ beloved family grocery store was no longer profitable. Louisa’s brother was making plans to leave—but where would they go? The silver lining of the Armenian Genocide was that it had dispersed their family across the globe. As a result, they had relatives and connections in far flung places, from Armenia to Argentina; they needed but to take their pick.
During this time, the Soviet Union was beginning to disseminate propaganda in the hopes of bolstering its citizenship and expanding its workforce to help with reconstruction following World War II. By November of 1945, Stalin had authorized the return of Ottoman Armenians to Soviet Armenia. The mass propaganda, facilitated by Armenian nationalist organizations abroad, attracted Diasporans all across Europe and the Americas to repatriate to their ancestral homeland—or what was left of it. Responding to this patriotic call, in 1948, Louisa’s brother determined the duo would venture to Armenia. They became part of the 150,000 Armenians who heeded the call of Soviet-era repatriation. But these starstruck patriots were in for a rude awakening. The propaganda had downplayed the reality that Armenia was now a Soviet-dominated country in a state of extreme poverty, which thanks to Stalin’s iron fist, doled out severe punishment to any voices of dissent. Furthermore, outsiders were less than welcome. Discrimination was not uncommon against this new-coming “akhpar” population (as they were tauntingly called by locals).
Despite these formidable obstacles, Louisa’s brother, who had been trained by a well-known jeweler back in Bucharest, quickly found work in Yerevan. In fact, he and a group of fellow Diasporan jewelers became the first to establish a state-run jewelry-manufacturing factory in Armenia.
Life in Soviet Armenia was not easy, but Louisa and her brother found companionship in a community of Romanian-Armenian expats. This was how she met her future husband, Kurken Kazandjian. Kurken, a master electrician, made a good living for their family and together, they shared in a nice apartment in Yerrort Mas (Third District), with their two daughters, Haigui and Araxie. They were comfortable in Yerevan, as Kurken’s work afforded him a decent status in Soviet society. The family was even given a telephone—a rare privilege—so that Kurken could be reached by the factory in case of an emergency. But the repression of expression and the memory of Stalin’s regime had scarred them. Kurken began looking westward, hoping to one day join his brother Dikran in the United States.
It was the sixties, and the Cold War was in full, frigid swing. Relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union were tense, but oddly, the Kazandjians’ desire to leave came at just the right time. The USSR was facing great scrutiny from international powers, particularly those in the West, who feared the expansion of communism. In the early seventies, the Helsinki Final Act was signed, which mandated that any citizen of the Soviet Union who wished to reunite with family members in the West should be permitted to do so. The Kazandjians submitted a request to join Dikran Kazandjian in Lynn, Massachusetts and to their elation, it was granted in 1973. Louisa, Kurken and their two daughters bid farewell to their cozy, one-bedroom apartment in Yerevan to begin a new life in Lynn. Nearly fifty years later, Louisa’s daughter and granddaughter would travel to this very apartment once more, to find that the people to whom they had handed over the keys back in 1973 were still living there, and remembered them.
Life in America was extremely harsh at first, and the family wondered if they had made the right decision. But eventually, Kurken found work, and the situation improved. Louisa, for her part, also found work in the assembly line shoe factories that gave Lynn its reputation of shoe capital of the world for a time.
Click to view slideshow.Louisa would go on to live the rest of her life in Lynn and had the great pleasure of watching her two daughters marry and have children. After the death of her husband in 1986, she devoted all her efforts to helping raise her grandchildren, and divided her time between the families of her two daughters. Her daughters remember her as the perfect wife, mother and grandmother. She was a vision of selflessness, from whom no one can remember a single word of complaint.
Click to view slideshow.Louisa is survived by her devoted daughters: Haigui Beurekjian and her husband Onnig of Salem, Mass., and Araxie Vann and her husband Richard of Fairfax, Virginia. She was the loving grandmother of five grandchildren: Ara Beurekjian and his wife, Mariam; Manoug Beurekjian and his wife, Jennifer; Hasmig Pavlovic and her husband, Nebojsa; Anahid Vann; and Karine Vann and her fiancé, Vahe Markosian. She was also blessed with four great-grandchildren: Roman, Nicholas and Gianna Beurekjian and Layla Pavlovic. She was the dear sister of the late Garabed Kalikian, Aram Kalikian and her late sister-in-law Vasselika Kalikian. She also leaves behind her two nephews: Hagop Kalikian and his family from Nevada; and Varoujan Kalikian and his family from Maryland.
Visiting hours will be held at the Giragosian Funeral Home, 576 Mt. Auburn St. (Rt. 16), Watertown on Friday 5 to 8 p.m. Services will be held at St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church, 38 Elton Avenue, Watertown on Saturday, February 16 at 10:30 am. Interment will take place at Greenlawn Cemetery, Salem. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Donations may be made in her memory to St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church or to the Armenian Women’s Welfare Association, 435 Pond Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130.
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Known as the “matron saint of Armenian folk dance,” Nevarte Hamparian passed away on February 12, 2019. She was born in New York City on August 1, 1926. She was the daughter of Nazar Der Manuelian of Palou and Zarouhi Avakian of Sepastia, who were both born and raised in Western Armenia. From a young age, Nevarte learned many native Armenian dances from her father, and she grew up to become a leading exponent of the Armenian folk dance and a founder of the Nayiri Dance Group of New York.
At the age of four, Nevarte began taking dancing lessons from Madame Seda Suny, and later earned scholarships to study ballet at the Ballet Arts School of New York and Balanchine’s School of American Ballet. Nevarte auditioned with the formidable Muriel Stuart—her instructor at the time—for a scholarship to attend the Balanchine School. Stuart, who herself was a student of Russian prima ballerina Anna Pavlova, admitted Nevarte and placed her in the advanced division. While Nevarte studied the Italian technique with the renowned ballet master Maestro Vincenzo Celli, she was also receiving a musical education in piano, theory and voice. She was a graduate of the High School of Music and Art in New York City, and in 1943, this school elected her a member of the Music League.
When she was 16 years old, Nevarte made her first professional appearance as a dancer with the Metropolitan Opera Company in the opera “Aida.” Prior to this, she was performing in numerous dance recitals and Armenian functions. One in particular was the Armenian opera “Anoush,” in which she played the title role in the ballet dream sequence. Nevarte was also a member of the Armenian Folk Dance Society of New York, and at one time, served as its director.
In 1946, Nevarte joined the U.S.O. Camp Shows for their production of “Russian Revels.” This exciting group of highly trained artists, some of whom were members of the famed Don Cossacks, presented Russian and Gypsy songs and dances. Nevarte danced and sang with this group for two years, touring with the U.S.O. to United States military hospital bases from coast to coast.
As the co-founder and director of the Nayiri Dance Group, formed in 1963, Nevarte presented dances from the Armenian regions of Erzerum, Erzinga, Palou, Sepastia, Shabin-Karahissar, Van and elsewhere. She also choreographed exciting new dances for the group’s performance for “Armenian Day” at the New York World’s Fair in 1964 and 1965. The Nayiri Dance Group received a commemorative award from Gov. Nelson Rockefeller for its outstanding performance at the New York State Pavilion at The World’s Fair.
In the years that followed, a series of highly acclaimed concerts took place, which presented authentic folk dances entitled “A Dance Trip through Armenia,” which Nevarte conceived expressly for the Nayiri Dance Group. These performances took place at New York’s Carnegie Recital Hall, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and elsewhere. The group also performed at the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, President Lyndon B. Johnson’s birthday party in 1964, the Folk Festival of 50 Nations at Convention Hall in Philadelphia in 1966, the New York City Bicentennial Heritage Festival at Rockefeller Center in 1976, and the Pontifical Banquet for Catholicos Khoren I, among many other recitals.
The Nayiri Dance Group, which at its apex, consisted of 30 adults and children, performed well into the mid-1990s for Armenian and American audiences. The group represented three generations of American-born Armenians whose knowledge of their heritage is derived from their forebears who survived the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Throughout these many years, Nevarte’s professional career and her training equipped her well for her role as an instructor, choreographer, dancer, director and mentor. With an impressive background from which to draw, Nevarte did much to carry forward and bring awareness to the historic Armenian dance.
Nevarte was the wife of the late Nishan Hamparian, an art director, former principal of the St. Illuminator’s Armenian Saturday School and a set designer of the Nayiri Dance Group performance at Carnegie Recital Hall. She is survived by her three children: Aram, Anahid and Vartan; cousin Elizabeth Derderian and family; godson Edward Kalajian and family; brother-in-law Garabed Kasbarian; and loving nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations may be made to St. Illuminator’s Armenian Apostolic Cathedral or any organization that assists the blind or visually impaired.
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Louise Manoogian Simone passed away at the age of 85 on February 18, announced the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU). Louise will be remembered for her unwavering dedication to civic leadership and philanthropy and her unmatched passion for the promotion of the Armenian culture and heritage.
Louise was born in Detroit, Michigan to Alex and Marie Manoogian on May 19, 1933. Her father was an Armenian immigrant who left Turkey after the Armenian Genocide, developed the Delta single-handed faucet and went on to become one of America’s leading industrialists as the founder of MASCO corporation. Upon achieving business success, Alex used his resources to work tirelessly for the benefit of the Armenian people worldwide.
Louise inherited her parents’ passion for Armenians, which led her to follow in her father’s footsteps and serve on AGBU’s board, the world’s largest non-profit organization devoted to upholding the Armenian heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs around the world. In 1982, Louise made her first trip to Armenia, then still a Soviet Republic. She quickly fell in love with the country and over the next few years, returned frequently, bringing others with her, whether it be to make documentaries or to connect and contribute in other ways. Her brother, Richard Manoogian, joined her in supporting a number of projects in Armenia.
In 1988, after the deadly and devastating Spitak earthquake, Louise was on the first U.S. cargo plane delivering relief supplies and organizing rescue teams to support the disaster area on behalf of AGBU.
In 1989, Louise was elected the international president of AGBU and began directing operations in 31 countries and 74 cities. She was in charge of the building and continued funding of schools, churches, scout programs and services for Armenians worldwide. She opened an office in Yerevan and when Armenia became an independent country following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Louise—through AGBU and her own resources—focused her efforts on rebuilding a newly independent homeland. She was a charter board member and a major benefactor of the American University of Armenia in Yerevan.
In 2002, after a million miles traveling around the world to oversee operations and projects, Louise retired as President of AGBU. However, she continued her significant charitable efforts through the Manoogian-Simone Foundation working with the Armenian Apostolic Church in reconstructing and maintaining hospitals, schools, historical monuments, and children’s and cultural centers. And as was always a theme throughout her life, Louise was a proud supporter of the arts and many artists.
Though she was most passionate about Armenian causes, Louise was also an invaluable benefactor to American universities, museums and cultural institutions, including the University of Michigan, Wayne State University and the Detroit Institute of Arts. She received many honors throughout her life, among them the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Heartfelt sympathies have been pouring in. In a letter to the Manoogian Simone families upon her passing, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote about Louise’s exemplary lifelong mission to preserve the Armenian identity and development of an independent Armenia.
With deep sorrow learned the news of passing Armenian American philanthropist Louise Manoogian Simone. Her contribution for earthquake victims, refugees from the #NagornoKarabakh war, promotion of #Armenian #culture worldwide and charitable efforts are invaluable.
— Nikol Pashinyan (@NikolPashinyan) February 20, 2019
Louise’s AGBU family worldwide is also grieving. She was the first and only female leader of the non-profit organization. In a statement, AGBU President Berge Setrakian wrote, “She was called upon to steer AGBU through many challenges rising to become a driving force behind many of the successes and benefits that Armenians across the world enjoy today. She was a role model for all who had the good fortune to work with her and watch her brilliant mind at work. Always idealistic, yet practical, efficient and wise, she managed to see past the immediate obstacles to find solutions that would yield lasting results.”
Louise is survived by a brother, three children and two grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to American University of Armenia (American University of Armenia Corporation, 1000 Broadway, Ste. 280 Oakland, CA 94607).
This article originally appeared in Asbarez and has been edited and expanded by the Weekly staff.
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KERNEKLIAN, Melanie Bandazian, 77, of Manakin-Sabot, Va., passed away on Monday, February 25, 2019. She was preceded in death by her parents, Khoren and Virginia Bandazian; and brother, Krikor Bandazian. She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Dr. Murad Kerneklian; daughters, Sona Kerneklian Pomfret, Seta Kerneklian Michel, Seran Kerneklian Taylor; grandchildren, Talene and Kevin Pomfret Jr., Logan and Savannah Taylor and Josh and Shane Michel; brother, Bedros C. Bandazian (Estelle); and sister, Ardemis Jerikian (John); her brother-in-law, Mickey Kerneklian (Clara); numerous nieces, nephews and godchildren whom she loved dearly.
Melanie was passionate about Republican politics, Armenian causes, her family, Rummikub, the Armenian Heritage Cruise and her newfound talent for painting. She loved gardening and her flowers.
Melanie was a legislative aide to former House of Delegate Eric Cantor and served on the Armenia/Virginia Advisory Commission under Gov. George Allen. She was a member of the Advisory Board on Service and Volunteerism under Gov. James Gilmore. She also served as a member of the James River and Goochland Republican Women’s Club and the Richmond Dental Auxiliary.
Melanie was instrumental in having the Armenian Genocide included in the Standards of Learning (SOL) exams in Virginia. She was a member of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS), the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), the Armenian National Committee and an active member of St. James Armenian Church, where she served as a Sunday school teacher and Women’s Guild Chairwoman.
The family will receive friends 12 to 2 and 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, February 28, at Bliley’s-Central, 3801 Augusta Ave., Richmond, Va. 23230, where a “Hokihankisd” (wake) service will be held at 7 p.m. A funeral ceremony will be held 11 a.m. Friday, March 1, at St. James Armenian Church, 834 Pepper Ave., Richmond, Va. 23226. Internment Westhampton Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Armenian Relief Society, Richmond “Hooys/Hope” Chapter, c/o Hasmig Schein, 2133 Boardman Ln., Richmond, Va. 23238, or the Armenian National Committee of Richmond, Va., c/o Bedros Bandazian, 2 Foxmere Dr., Richmond, Va. 23238.
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It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Vahan Der-Assadourian on February 23, 2019 at the Hopital du Sacré-Coeur in Montreal. He is mourned by his son Garen, daughter Lori (Garo Manoug), sisters Seta (Sarkis Tabakian), Annie (Varoujan Seropian), granddaughters Lara, Lia and Naomi, his nephew and nieces, as well as his numerous ungers and friends, near and far.
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John P. Amboian of Andover, Mass. passed away peacefully in the comfort of the High Pointe House on March 16 at the age of 87. Beloved husband of Patricia (McLarnon) Amboian for 60 years. Devoted son of immigrant parents, the late Asadour and Tourvanda (Juknavorian) Amboian. Treasured father of Michael E. Amboian and his wife Patricia (Rook) of Methuen, MA; John P. Amboian Jr. and his wife Ann (Lee) of Winnetka, IL; Leslie Amboian and fiancé John Royce of Manchester, NH. Cherished grandfather (Papa) of Michael Jr., Megan, Andrew, Madison, and Alexander Amboian; Mitchell, and Lucas Takessian. Brother of Rose Amboian and Sandra (Amboian) Boroyan of Chelmsford, MA. Beloved uncle of numerous nieces and nephews.
John was born in July of 1931 in Lowell, MA. John was a magna cum laude graduate of Northeastern University earning a bachelors in Business. John was a former member of the Directors of the National Council of Northeastern University and a member of the Sigma Epsilon Rho Honor Fraternity of the University.
During the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Army as a Staff Sergeant, receiving several medals and decorations.
John was a retired senior vice president of administration of the former Arkwright Mutual Insurance Company, which merged into the FM Global Insurance Company. He retired in 1992 after 32 years of service.
He was a former president of the Boston Chapter of the Budget Executives Institute and a member of the National Financial Executives Institute. John served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Waltham, Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Town of Dracut, Massachusetts.
John was an active member of several fraternal organizations, some of which included: Pentucket Masonic Lodge in Lowell Massachusetts; 32 Degree Scottish Rite; Aleppo Shriner; Armenian Knights of Vartan; Armenian-American Veterans of Lowell; Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee of the Merrimack Valley in Massachusetts.
John was a lifelong active member of Saints Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church of Chelmsford, MA. He served in several significant leadership positions in his parish, along with leadership roles in the New England Region and with the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America. John was a Diocesan Delegate for 32 years and chair of the 1995 Diocesan Assembly Host Committee among others. In 1996, John chaired the Pontifical Visitation Committee to the New England Region, upon the visit of His Holiness Karekin I Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians of blessed memory.
John’s willingness to give generously of his time and talents found him elected to the Diocesan Council and as a member of the Diocesan Board of Trustees of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America. John has served as a member of the St. Nersess Armenian Seminary Board of Directors; he has also been a recipient of the prestigious St. Nersess Shnorhali Medal from the Holy See in Armenia.
In 2007, the Diocese honored John by selecting him as “Armenian of the Year.”
He was part of the delegation which represented our Diocese at the 1995 and 1999 National Ecclesiastical Assemblies, which convened in Holy Etchmiadzin in the Republic of Armenia. The purpose was to participate in the 1995 election of His Holiness Karekin I, Catholicos of all Armenians of blessed memory; and in the 1999 election of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians.
Visiting hours will be held on Tuesday, March 19 from 4-8 pm in the sanctuary of Saints Vartanantz Armenian Church (180 Old Westford Rd., Chelmsford, MA). Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, March 20 at 11 a.m. in the church followed by a procession to Edson Cemetery in Lowell. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Saints Vartanantz Armenian Church. Arrangements by the McDonough Funeral Home (14 Highland St., Lowell, MA).
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Boyajian, Miriam (Nigohsian) 92, of South Natick, (formerly of Needham) passed away peacefully on March 13, 2019 enveloped by the love and devotion of her family. Miriam was the wife of Jack Boyajian for 63 full and loving years and the proud and devoted mother to her son Jack Jr. and his wife Jody, to her dear pre-deceased son Ronald and his wife Janet, and to her daughter Valerie (Boyajian) Camiel and her husband Charles. She loved each and every one of them with her heart and soul.
Miriam also leaves behind her large and adoring family. She was a grandmother to Nicholas, Talia, David, Shawna, Blair, Adam, Danielle and Ross. She was also blessed with four great grandchildren—Mia, Cohen, Oliver and Fay.
Miriam was the daughter of the late John and Catherine Nigohsian and was pre-deceased by her sister Marguerite Kurkjian and her husband John. Miriam was the sister to Charles Nigohsian and his wife Peggy; to Marlene Paul and her husband Ed, and an aunt to many.
Miriam’s greatest joy in life was to be surrounded by her family. Whether listening to updates about their lives or cooking their favorite Armenian foods, Miriam enjoyed the company of her loved ones as they did hers. Wherever Miriam went, she made friends. People were drawn to her ever present warm smile and her caring heart. Miriam put others before herself – friends, family and acquaintances. She was fun, silly and always upbeat and happy – never one to complain. Miriam will leave a hole in the hearts of everyone that knew her, but most of all her family. They will never be the same without her but will be eternally grateful for her love and devotion. As Miriam would say – “So long, see you in the funnies.”
Funeral service at Saint James Armenian Church, 465 Mount Auburn Street, Watertown on Tuesday, March 19 at 11:00 a.m. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. A visitation period will be held at the Aram Bedrosian Funeral Home, 558 Mount Auburn Street, Watertown on Tuesday morning from 9:00 – 10:30 a.m., immediately prior to the church services. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Saint James Armenian Church or to the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA), 31 West Century Road, Paramus, N.J. 07652. Interment at Needham Cemetery, Needham, MA.
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Antranig Karadolian, 74, of Farmington Hills passed away on Tuesday, April 2, 2019. Antranig will be remembered as a hayrenaser, a kind-hearted person, a green-thumbed gardner, but most of all, a devoted husband and father, continually exuding unconditional love for his family. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Vartoug, and their children Sevan (Joseph), Hagop, & Viken (Mariem) and grandchildren Nasayah, Alec, Sophie, & Alexander.
Antranig was born in Aleppo, Syria, and later moved with his family to Anjar where he called his home. He was an exemplary eldest brother and role model to his siblings Sarkis, Hamed, Setrag, Parounag, Berjouhi, & Krikor. Antranig attained a high school education, studied in a seminary in Antilias, and attended trade school in Milan. In January 1974, he married his love, Vartoug and was happy to start their family together. They moved to the United States in 1985 to begin a new life with hopes of a bright future.
He made his mark here in the Detroit Armenian community serving as a Deacon at St. Sarkis Armenian Church, and was part of the Gomideh and Hamazkayin organizations. Antranig also loved writing. For decades, he was a Detroit community correspondent for the Hairenik weekly newspaper. He performed these responsibilities with grace, attention to detail and incredible humility, and often expressed concern of the lack of interest from younger generations in reporting on their communities. Antranig will always be remembered by his kind nature, ability to maintain strong friendships, and for his love of family. He will live on as a beacon of this community, bringing Armenians together.
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Agnes (Kalousdian) Krikorian, age 91, passed away peacefully after a period of declining health in Framingham, Massachusetts on April 23, 2019. Her beloved husband George, who was a public-school teacher, predeceased her in 1997. The daughter of Armenian Genocide survivors Isaac (Yessayi) and Sarah (Siranoush) (Manassian) Kalousdian from Shabin Karahisar in the Black Sea region, Agnes was born on February 8, 1928 in Worcester.
She grew up in Whitinsville and graduated from Hill College. Agnes worked in the accounting department of Whitin Machine Works before moving to Framingham with George in 1959. She worked at Framingham Union Hospital and Perini Corporation.
She later graduated summa cum laude from Framingham State College and spent a distinguished career teaching Spanish and reading in Framingham and Marlboro. She was dedicated to addressing the needs of each student as an individual to extract their best efforts and inspire them to lead lives of accomplishment. Like her husband, she was a strong teachers unionist. Because of her background and skills, she was selected among an initial group of teachers in Massachusetts to advance the Facing History and Ourselves program to teach the connection between history with an emphasis on genocides and the moral choices we confront in the modern world.
Agnes profoundly loved her church, her students, her family, her community and the circle of close friends she built with her husband over the years. In 1998 after the formation of the Framingham Armenian church, Agnes connected with a host of new friends and a close Bible study group. She continued to read, share lessons and make new friends until her last breaths. She spared no effort in trying to improve the lives of others and was deeply loved and respected in return.
Agnes is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Van and Priscilla Krikorian, who are both lawyers in Rye, NY. She was a grandmother to Ani and her husband Frank Oliver (lawyers in New York City); Sarah Krikorian (a public school teacher in Stratford, CT); Lena Krikorian (a Diplomatic Academy student in Vienna, Austria); and George Krikorian (a law student in NY). Her siblings Sebouh Kalousdian and his wife Margaret of Whitinsville and sister Prudence Blake of Rhode Island predeceased her. She is also survived by her cherished nieces and nephews: Jeffery M. Kalousdian of Whitinsville; Mark Kalousdian of Uxbridge; Melanie and Fran Walker of Falmouth; Willard Gould; Marilyn Gould Papa; Elaine Gould McKenzie; Timmy and Tommy Beech of RI, and all their respective children and grandchildren.
Her funeral will be on Saturday April 27, 2019, at 11:00 am at Armenian Apostolic Church, Whitinsville (315 Church St., Whitinsville, MA 01588). Calling hours will precede the funeral at the same church at 10:00 am. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Holy Translators Armenian Church, 38 Franklin St, Framingham, MA 01702, the Armenian Apostolic Church of Whitinsville or the Armenia Tree Project.
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Baruyr “Buddy” Avedick Poladian passed away April 17, 2019 at the age of 101. Buddy was born Nov 9, 1917 in Watertown, Mass. His family moved to California in 1921 and opened a family textile dyeing business, called the National Dye House in Culver City, Cali. Buddy grew up working alongside his father and went on to study Mechanical Engineering at California State-Los Angeles. Buddy eventually took ownership of the family business and became a leader in the industry. He was even invited to teach in Japan.
In 1940, at the age of 22, Buddy joined the war effort and signed up to be an Army Aviator. He was a navigator to a B24 crew patrolling the English Channel, rising to the rank of Lieutenant. In 1942 he married Canary Asadurian, whom he cherished, and together they raised a beautiful family over their 74-year marriage until her passing in 2016. He was a well-respected resident of Culver City, and a member of The Triple X fraternity, Shriners, United Armenian Congregational Church, and The Ararat Home of Los Angeles.
He was extremely well-read on the latest science on health, was generous, affable, loved his family, and had a deep faith and knowledge of the Bible.
He is survived by: his four children Noralea Goodrow, Barbara Poladian, Helen Kulungian Avedick and his wife Melinda Poladian; and his brother Aram Poladian. He is known as “Grandpa Bud” by his eight grandchildren, Cristos Goodrow, Tanya Dodge, Tamara Buuck, Tim Kulungian, Carla Kulungian, Matthew Poladian, Emily Bossert and Aaron Poladian. He is also survived by fifteen great-grandchildren: Corgan, Isabelle, Brendan, Eve, Meghan, Dylan, Delilah, Rose, Cooper, Reagan, Delaney, Callie, Carter and Avalee.
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Devoted students and music-lovers have been mourning the loss of internationally renowned tubist Sam Pilafian, who passed away on April 6, 2019 in his fight against colon cancer.
“There will never be another Sam,” said Ted Cox, Oklahoma City Philharmonic member and longtime friend of Pilafian in an interview with the Armenian Weekly. “What he did with his career was so unique. He created work with the brass quintet and made it a full time job, and took [the tuba] to another level.” Indeed, Pilafian elevated the tuba as founding member of the Empire Brass Quintet, performing worldwide and inspiring and mentoring aspiring brass players across the nation.
Pilafian was born in 1949 in Miami, Florida to Armenian parents. His father James Pilafian came to Ellis Island as a refugee from Syria and grew up in Massachusetts; his mother Rosa “Shaki” (Boyajian) grew up in Virginia. Sister Marni Pilafian told the Armenian Weekly that her parents were the founding members of St. John’s Apostolic Armenian Church, the first Armenian Church in Florida. Her brother Sam was the first baby baptized in this church in 1949.
Pilafian developed a love for music and the Armenian culture at an early age. “Sahag,” as his family called him, first discovered his musical talents with the accordion. His sister Marni tells the Weekly that her mother would always look for Armenian sheet music for her son to practice and play. Pilafian also had a great respect the Armenian church and the badarak. Marni remembered that her brother always asked the priest for the sheet music to learn the minor chords.
“Sam’s strong foundation came from listening to Armenian music, which had such a huge influence on him even at an early age when most students are only learning Western music,” said Marni in her interview with the Armenian Weekly. Even though his father wanted him to be a lawyer, Pilafian pursued his musical interests with his mother’s unwavering support. At 4’10, she would carry her son’s tuba up four flights of stairs every Monday and Friday for lessons.
Pilafian got his first job playing on a movie soundtrack in New York when he was 21 years old; he was an invaluable talent because he could create any sound the movie producers wanted. He later played the tuba for Pink Floyd. His deep tones form the backdrop to the rock band’s 1979 album The Wall. Pilafian’s journey to fame was not typical of most tuba players. He started out in hotels and backing influential singers like Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli, and eventually carved his own path.
He went on to become a professor of tuba at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music in his hometown. He was a dedicated teacher and taught at notable educational institutions including Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute, where he befriended Cox. He also taught at Berklee’s College of Music and Arizona State University. Students knew him as “Yeah Man Sam” because he always encouraged his students to play their instruments fearlessly.
Cox told the Armenian Weekly that Pilafian’s resume was about 22 pages long. He was the most recorded tubist in history with 83 albums under his name. According to Facebook, his latest gig was joining the Eastman Tuba team. Cox laughed when remembering how hectic Pilafian’s schedule was, noting that he could never keep up with his travels and various projects. In addition to his international tours, he was a consultant to the Royal Academy of Music in London and was the honorary board of director of the International Tuba Euphonium Association, where he later won a Lifetime Achievement Award. He even co-authored “The Brass Gym” and “The Breathing Gym” with fellow brass player Patrick Sheridan, teaching students comprehensive daily workouts for playing wind instruments.
His influence was felt all across the nation during his 40-year career. In 1985, a young Pilafian enthusiastically taught beloved children’s show host Mr. Rogers how to play the tuba; Mr. Rogers was enraptured with Pilafian’s masterful rendition of John Philip Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever. Pilafian never stopped broadening his horizons in the music world and many thought of him as the best tuba player in the world.
On occasion, Pilafian paid tribute to his Armenian heritage with his music. When he founded Empire Brass in 1972, he chose fellow Armenian Dave Ohanian to play the french horn with him. They toured Yerevan and Moscow with their original Armenian compositions and arrangements. He also performed at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Portugal. Marni said her brother was “always receptive to helping Armenian students with music.” He even learned to play the oud, but couldn’t pursue it with his busy schedule. “Throughout his career, he encouraged others to consider Armenian music and not only Western music,” said Marni.
The Empire Brass Quintet also paid homage to Armenian composer Alan Hovhaness’ 1947 Sharagan and Fugue for the brass choir, incorporating the tuba in hymns from the Armenian Orthodox church. This pastiche of musical elements was a testament to his musical adaptability. His four part album “Relentless Grooves” highlighted Armenian music using authentic instruments from pagan times up to the modern era and skillfully incorporated the tuba into the Armenian sharagan. Pilafian even taught an Armenian music program. “It was well-known he was Armenian,” said his friend Cox. “He didn’t hide it. Everyone knew he was Armenian. His paternal grandfather survived the genocide. He was a factory worker.” Pilafian incorporated the Armenian culture in his music in a way that no one else could. “I remember him playing the Artunian workshops,” recalled Cox. “It was incredible. He got the traditional Armenian orientation. Nobody else could do that.”
Many students and admirers have flooded social media to pay tribute, posting videos of themselves playing the tuba. Other students have taken to their practice rooms to carry out his legacy.
He was known as the “Evel Knievel of Tuba” for his risk-taking, evident in his solo career and for occasionally playing the tuba while doing headstands. While he was in college, he bandaged his own eyes for four days to understand his fellow blind musician Mike Gerber and his process of showmanship, and claimed that his hearing became clearer and “nothing was the same after that.” His gusto, playfulness and determination brought him success across the music industry, charming music lovers across the globe.
He had recorded and performed with the best orchestras in the world, reaching almost every corner of America. Though the tuba is known to be a jazz instrument, Pilafian’s tuba tapped into all genres and pushed the boundaries of classical, jazz, pop, rock and world music. Guest artist to the Empire recital and member of the jazz group Travelin’ Light Frank Vignola compared him to legend Louis Armstrong because they both “broke all the rules.”
“There is a very big hole in my life now,” said Pilafian’s friend of 33 years. “I never thought he’d die this young.”
Pilafian is survived by wife Diann (Jezurski), two sons, Alexander Sarkis and Zev Levin-Pilafian, and his sisters Marni and Nerisa.
The post Remembering World-Renowned Tubist, Sam Pilafian appeared first on The Armenian Weekly.
