National, International, Armenia, and Community News and Opinion

The Armenian Reporter | December 13, 2008 7CommunityHaroutun Garabed Karakashian, 71, organizer of central NJ communityHarout Karakashian of Middletown,N.J., died on November 22 at hishome. He was active in Armenianchurch, educational, and culturalactivities in central New Jersey.Haroutun Garabed Karakashianwas born on April 23, 1937 in Jerusalemto Garabed and Kayane (neeHairabedian) Karakashian. His fatherwas a native of Kutahya, andfirst cousin, once removed, to thevenerable Armenian priest andcomposer Gomidas. His motherwas a native of Odemish, nearIzmir, and was orphaned duringthe Armenian Genocide of 1915.The family enjoyed a good lifein the vibrant Armenian communityof Jerusalem. Harout attendedthe School of the Holy Translators.His father was a blacksmithwho made keys and license plates,and his uncle Megerditch was themaster painter of the internationallyrecognized Karakashian-Balianjoint workshop of Palestine Pottery.During the Arab-Israeli War of1948, the family sought refuge inthe complex of the Armenian Patriarchate.After having their homedestroyed numerous times, Garabed,Kayane, and their three sons,Harout, Nubar, and Vicken, movedto Amman, Jordan, and lived withGarabed’s sister and her family, Zarehand Zmroukht Tashjian andsons Sebouh, Vahe, and Hagop,and Kayane’s cousins, numerousmembers of the Etyemezian family.In November 1956, Harout wasthe first of his family to move tothe United States. On December 20,1956, his parents and brothers arrivedin Newark, New Jersey, havingobtained passage as Jordanianrefugees and having been sponsoredby the St. Mary parish ofIrvington. The family was greetedby Rev. Fr. Yeghishe Gizirian andZareh Manigian, a parish councilmember. Harout’s family ownedand operated the Oriental GiftShop in Newark, where the familysold gift items and the Armenianpottery of Jerusalem.Harout proudly served in theU.S. Army for several years. In June1963, he met Serpouhi Pilavian atan Armenian dance in Asbury Parkand they were married on June 29,1963, at Sts. Vartanantz ArmenianChurch in Ridgefield, New Jersey.They moved to Middletown in 1964,and were blessed with two children,Garo and Tamar.Harout worked for Sears, Roebuck& Co. for over 33 years andhad his own construction businessfor 25 years. He also owned a drycleaningbusiness with his brother,Nubar, for 32 years, and more recently,owned a family luncheonette.Harout was appointed by ArchbishopTorkom Manoogian, Primateof the Eastern Diocese, toserve on the first Parish Councilat St. Mary Armenian Church inElberon in 1968. At various timesspanning four decades, he servedon of the Parish Council as chairperson,treasurer, and advisor. Haroutactively participated in the NewJersey Chapter of the HamazkayinArmenian Cultural and EducationalSociety for numerous years, especiallyin its choral group. He wasa former longtime member of theArmenian Revolution Federation“Dro” Gomideh of New Jersey.On September 27, 1973, he wasone of several individuals whofounded the Armenian CulturalSchool Association, an organizationdedicated to perpetuating theArmenian language, culture, andheritage in the Central New Jerseyarea. He served as one of the chartermembers of the acsa. The organizationestablished the weekly AraratArmenian School, and offeredother cultural, educational, andsocial functions to the hundredsof Armenians living in Monmouthand Ocean Counties of New Jersey.For many decades, Harout sangin the choir at Sts. Vartanantz ofRidgefield and St. Mary and St. Stepanosof Elberon. He also servedas choirmaster for several years atSt. Stepanos. He was honored asSt. Mary Man of the Year in 1979.On June 14, 1987, Harout served asone of the godfathers of the newlyconstructed St. Stepanos. He alsowas a member of the Men’s Club.Harout selflessly assisted in thegrowth of the parish, and servedon the Parish Council during thetransition from St. Mary to St. Stepanosand supervised the constructionof the new edifice. For his outstandingleadership, he was one ofHenry Zareh Karanian, 86, pharmacistHenry Zareh Karanian, a lifelongresident of New Britain, Conn.,died on October 28. He was born inNew Britain, Conn., on December23, 1921, to the late Hovhannes andArdemis Karanian. He is survivedby his wife, Agnes Barsoian Karanian,to whom he had been happilymarried for 60 years.Henry was an active member ofthe Armenian community in Connecticutand was a lifelong memberof St. Stephen’s Armenian ApostolicChurch of New Britain, where heserved for a decade as a member ofthe Board of Trustees, as treasurer,and as a delegate to the ArmenianNational Convention. He wasalso chairperson of the ArmenianLeague of Greater New Britain.Henry was a pharmacist and hedevoted his entire career to thisprofession. He worked as a retailpharmacist, owning and operatingthe Burritt Pharmacy, a neighborhooddrugstore in New Britain, for11 years. He dedicated the last 21years of his career to law enforcementand to narcotics legislationand education. He served as a seniordrug control agent with theConnecticut Department of Healthand later with the state’s Departmentof Consumer Protection.During his service with the State ofConnecticut he testified before thestate legislature, helped write druglegislation, and helped educate doctors,pharmacists, and lawyers ondrug laws and compliance issues.Henry was a 1940 graduate ofNew Britain High School. As amember of the school’s 1938 StateChampionship football team, heplayed on both the offensive anddefensive lines. He was a veteran ofWorld War II, and after high schoolserved his country in the U.S. ArmyHenry Zareh Karanian.Haroutun Garabed Karakashian.six individuals honored at the 10thanniversary of the consecration ofSt. Stepanos in 1997.Harout loved to work and oftenhad a hard time relaxing. He did,however, enjoy playing backgammon(tavloo), spending time withfriends, and traveling to Armenia.As a child he played the violinand was very passionate aboutArmenian music – a passion thatspanned his entire life.Harout was predeceased by hisparents, Garabed and Kayane, andyoungest brother, Vicken. Survivingare his wife of 45 years, Serpouhiof New Jersey; son GaroKarakashian and his wife Lisaof New Jersey; daughter Tamarand her husband John Arslanianof Pennsylvania; brother NubarKarakashian and his wife Melineof New Jersey; nephew ShantKarakashian and his wife MaryAir Corps as a meteorologist. Hegraduated with honors from theU.S. Air Force Weather School andhis tour of duty took him to theFar East.Henry attended Columbia Universityin New York City. He marriedAgnes Barsoian of Pawtucket,R.I., while he was in school. Withthe loving support of his bride hegraduated with a bachelor of sciencedegree in pharmacy. He receivedthe Seabury and BordenScholarships as the highest-rankingstudent in his graduating class.After earning his degree fromColumbia, Henry returned to NewBritain and became a devoted andfaithful member of the community.Henry’s favorite hobby waswoodworking, and he constructedmany fine pieces of furniture overthe years for his four children, includingheirloom cradles for eachof his granddaughters and a wheelbarrowfor his grandson.Henry was the oldest of sixbrothers and is survived by Richard,Charles, Arthur, and George. Hisyoungest brother, Walter, predeceasedhim. He is also survived byIn Memoriam Shoghere Markarian, 1926–2007and their sons Haig, Nikolas, Aram,and Vicken of Delaware; nephewSebouh Karakashian and his wifeSetta and their sons Raffi and Armenof New Jersey; niece LoryKarakashian of New Jersey; sisterin-lawMaral Karakashian of NewJersey; nephew Raffi Karakashianof Washington; nephew Ara Karakashianof New Jersey and hisfiance Talar Yepremian of Syria;brother-in-law Hagop Pilavian andhis wife Sona of Syria; nephew NegolPilavian and his wife Rosalineand son Hagop of California; nieceKarin and her husband KarekinKirazian and son Allen of California;sister-in-law Ani and herhusband Mehran Balkhian andsons Sarkis and Garen Balkhianof Syria; mother-in-law HripsimePilavian of Syria; and numerouscousins in Jerusalem, Sydney, Amman,Ft. Lauderdale, Buenos Aires,and Vienna.In honor of Harout’s desire to assistwith the education of the lessfortunate of Armenia and Karabakh,the family is requesting that in lieuof flowers donations be made tothe Haroutun Karakashian MemorialFund and mailed to 87 SwartzelDrive, Middletown, New Jersey07748. Funeral services were heldon November 25 at St. Stepanos ArmenianChurch in Elberon, N.J. Officiatingwere V. Rev. Fr. HaigazounNajarian, Diocesan Vicar, assistedby V. Rev. Fr. Mamigon Kiledjian,Rev. Fr. Vertanes Kalayjian, andRev. Fr. Diran Bohajian. his four sons, Robert and daughterin-lawAndrea Karanian of Avon,Conn., William and daughter-inlawDenise Karanian of Kensington,Conn., Philip and daughter-in-lawNancy Karanian of West Hartford,Conn., and Matthew of Pasadena,Calif.Henry leaves his loving grandchildrenElyssa, Justine, Jarod, Alanna,Colleen, Caroline, and Genevieve.He also leaves four sisters-in-law,his cousins, and many loving niecesand nephews.Funeral services were held November1 at St. Stephen’s ArmenianApostolic Church in New Britain.In lieu of flowers, donations maybe made in his honor to the ArmenianEyecare Project, P.O. Box 5630,Newport Beach, CA 92662-5630 orSt. Stephen’s Armenian Church,167 Tremont Street, New Britain,CT 06051.It is with deep sadness that theMarkarian family observes thefirst anniversary of the passing ofShoghere Markarian, who died onNovember 15, 2007, in Manhattanat the age of 81. Ms. Markarian wasa pianist, teacher, and writer.Raised in Providence, Rhode Island,Shoghere was one of threechildren born to the late Haroutunand Satenig (Nalbandian) Markarian.At age 16, she began her studyof piano and composition withAlan Hovhaness and became hisprotégée. After graduating fromClassical High School, she majoredin piano at Longy School of Musicin Cambridge, Massachusetts, andhad concert studies with MarjorieChurch Cherkassky. She moved toNew York City, where she had concertstudies with Grete Sultan, andattended Juilliard and the DalcrozeSchool of Music. She studied danceat the Martha Graham and KatherineDunham Schools, and theaterwith Maurice Tei Dynn and Claudiade Lys.In 1952 Ms. Markarian premieredHovhaness’ Khaldis (Ancient Godof the Universe), “Concerto for Piano,Four Trumpets and Percussion”at the Cherry Lane Theatre in Manhattan.Hovhaness assigned his pupilsto her and sent her as an emissaryon lecture-performances ofShoghereMarkarian.his music. She maintained a longstandingfriendship with the composeruntil his death in 2000. Her“Personal Remembrance of AlanHovhaness” was published in theArmenian Reporter, and she appearedon Marvin Rosen’s ClassicalDiscoveries program in Princetonfor a tribute to Hovhaness.Ms. Markarian was a frequentcontributor to Ararat magazineand the Armenian Reporter. Her poetrywas published in the ArmenianReview. She reviewed films for theArmenian Film Festival. She alsoperformed in Shakespeare and theArmenian Theatre at ShakespeareSummerfest at the American Museumof Natural History, and laterrepeated the performance for theArmenian Diocese.Ms. Markarian created a performanceproject on the music of AlanHovhaness and letters of ArshileGorky to his sister, Vartoush. Atthe New York Sculpture Center in1994, she read from Gorky’s letters,in collaboration with poet and authorJohn Ash, who read excerptsfrom his book, Journey to Van. In1996, at the opening of an exhibitiondedicated to William Saroyan at theFederal Reserve Gallery in Boston,under the auspices of the ArmenianArtists Association, she read fromGorky’s letters, accompanied bypiano selections from Hovhanessperformed by Marvin Rosen.Ms. Markarian was a facultymember of the Piano Departmentat the Diller-Quaile School of Musicfrom 1982 until the time of herpassing. Diller-Quaile awarded her agrant for her project on the music ofHovhaness and letters of Gorky. Shepreviously taught piano at Womanschool,Cedarhurst School, and TheBloomingdale House of Music.Ms. Markarian is survived by herbrother, Dr. Shant Markarian; niecesKris and Johanna; and nephewsShant, Jr., and Craig.Interment and memorial servicewere held at Swan Point Cemeteryin Providence. The Diller-QuailePiano Department held a remembrancefor her in New York City.Those who wish to honor her memorymay contact Patti Beattie at theNational Wildlife Federation at 703-438-6350.