On Nov. 7, Roupen Barsoumian passed away at his home in Queens, N.Y. He left behind a dear sister, Silva Barsoumian (also of New York), and countless friends and loved ones.
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Roupen Barsoumian
Roupen was born on May 5, 1937, in Aleppo, Syria. He lost his parents at a young age, and was then cared for by his grandmother, Eliza Kahkedjian. A few years later, Roupen, along with his brother Hagop and sister Silva, were placed in a youth shelter run by the Armenian Relief Society. He enrolled at the newly founded school, Karen Yeppe. After completing his secondary education, Roupen spent a year teaching at the Armenian school in Kamishli.
After graduating from Haigazian College in Beirut, he continued his studies at the American University of Beirut, specializing in business accounting, after which he moved to New York in 1969. For some time, he owned and operated his own business that specialized in leather products. Later, he worked in transportation. In 1986, Roupen received the devastating news that his brother had been kidnapped in Beirut, during the Lebanese Civil War. Roupen would not see his brother again, and he carried that grief until the end.
Roupen’s lifelong commitment to serving the Armenian community led him to become one of the founders of the New York branch of Hamazkayin. He also brought his services to the Armenian Prelacy in New York, and was a cherished face in the Armenian intellectual circle of New York. Those who knew him remember his dedication to the Armenian language, and his dream that one day the Mesrobian orthography would be revived in Armenia.
