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April 23, 2014 - Special Edition
IN MEMORIAM
ONNIC MARASHIAN
1925—2014
Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, of blessed memory, decorates Onnic Marashian with the Prince of Cilicia insignia, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the Holy See of Cilicia, May 1996.
His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan and the Religious and Executive Councils announce with sorrow the passing of Mr. Onnic Marashian, a long-time servant of the Armenian Church. He was a Pillar of the Prelacy and was awarded the Prince of Cilicia insignia in recognition of his many years of service to the Armenian Church and the Eastern Prelacy. Mr. Marashian died yesterday, April 22, after a short illness.
A National Funeral (Azkayin Taghoum) will take place at Sts. Vartanantz Church, 461 Bergen Boulevard, Ridgefield, New Jersey, on Saturday, April 26, with visiting from 10 to 11 am, and funeral services at 11 a.m., with the Prelate, Archbishop Oshagan, officiating. Interment will follow at George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey. A memorial luncheon will be offered at Sts. Vartanantz Church.
Mr. Marashian is survived by his wife, Vergine, his daughter Hera and her husband John Williams; son Mardic and his wife Carol; and five grandchildren. A son, Asbed, and daughter-in-law, Sosy, and a brother, Joseph, predeceased him.
Mr. Marashian served on the Prelacy’s Executive Council for many years beginning in 1979 and continuing on until 1999. During his tenure he served as the Council’s secretary for a number of years and as its chairman from 1994 to 1999. He served as a delegate to the World General Assembly in Antelias, was elected to the Central Executive in Antelias, and served as a delegate to the Prelacy’s National Representative Assembly. The Prince of Cilicia medal, the highest civilian award offered by the Holy See of Cilicia, was presented to him in May 1996.
Mr. Marashian was a well-known specialist in the energy industry and was employed for many years by the McGraw-Hill Company, where he served as editor-in-chief of the influential publication Platt’s Oilgram. Following his retirement, McGraw-Hill retained him as a consultant for many years. He is the author of numerous articles in his field of expertise where he was an internationally recognized, respected, and honored colleague.
In lieu-of-flowers donations may be made to the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America and to Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church.
IN MEMORIAM
LUCY ISHKANIAN TANKIAN
1934—2014
Archbishop Oshagan presents Lucy Ishkanian the Queen Zabel Award in 2011.
His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan and the Religious and Executive Councils announce with profound sorrow the passing of Lucy Ishkanian Tankian, on April 20, 2014. She was a dedicated supporter of the Eastern Prelacy, and she and her husband were Pillars of the Prelacy.
Ms. Ishkanian, an accomplished concert pianist, was recognized internationally. She generously gave her time and expertise to the artistic community through her support of the education and careers of young artists. In 1992 she founded the Juilliard-Komitas friendship program that offers gifted students from the Komitas Conservatory in Yerevan, Armenia, the opportunity to study at The Juilliard School in New York.
The Wake/Homecoming service will take place Thursday evening, April 24, at St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, 221 East 27th Street, New York City, from 6 to 8 pm, with a service at 8 pm. The Funeral service, officiated by Archbishop Oshagan, will take place on Friday, April 25, at St. Illuminator’s Cathedral at 10 am. Interment will follow at Cedar Grove Cemetery in Queens.
Ms. Ishkanian is survived by her husband, Hagop Tankian. A brother, Vahe, predeceased her.
Ms. Ishkanian was a valued member of the Prelacy’s Musical Armenia committee that each year selected an artist or artists to be featured at the annual Musical Armenia concert in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall.
In appreciation of her life-long dedication to the Prelacy and the arts, the Prelacy honored her at a luncheon on May 2, 2011, where Archbishop Oshagan decorated her with the Queen Zabel Award, one of two high honors awarded by the Eastern Prelacy.
She gave her first recital at age seven, two years after becoming the youngest student ever accepted to the Juilliard Preparatory Division. She continued her education in the college division of Juilliard, graduating with both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees. She also went on to complete requirements for a PhD degree at Columbia University.
In lieu-of-flowers donations may be made to St. Illuminator's Cathedral or to the Juilliard Armenian Scholarship Fund.
IN MEMORIAM
HARRY KOUNDAKJIAN
1931—2014
His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan and the Religious and Executive Councils announce with great sorrow the passing of Harry Koundakjian, a former Associated Press photographer and photo editor on Monday, April 21.
Mr. Koundakjian, who colleagues considered to be the father of photojournalism in the Middle East, was a familiar presence (along with his camera) in the Armenian American community. He captured the images of every major event and then emailed the images worldwide. In October 2005, His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia, decorated him with the Mesrob Mashdotz medal during a pontifical visit to the United States in appreciation of his lifelong contributions.
Mr. Koundakjian is survived by his wife Aida, son Vicken, and daughter Lola. Funeral Services will take place Saturday, April 27, at the Armenian Evangelical Church in New York City. Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, pastor of St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, will represent the Prelate. In accordance with Mr. Koundakjian’s wishes, his ashes will be taken to Lebanon.
He joined the Associated Press in Beirut in the 1960s and covered all Middle East events, including the civil war in his beloved Lebanon from 1973 until 1979, when he was transferred to the Associated Press headquarters in New York City.
In a 2005 interview he told the interviewer, “I’ll always have a camera around my neck, even when I’m buried.”
Asdvatz Irents Hokinere Lousavoreh
May God Illuminate their Souls
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