News — In Memoriam
In Memoriam: Edward Alexander (1920-2023) ~ NAASR Lecturer and Member, Diplomat, and Author
NAASR joins with family and friends in mourning the passing of longtime member and supporter Edward Alexander, after an extraordinarily rich, distinguished, and long life.
In Memoriam: Mary Allerton Kilbourne Matossian (1930-2023)
Historian Mary Allerton Kilbourne Matossian, a pioneer of Armenian, women’s, and interdisciplinary studies, passed away on her 93rd birthday, July 9, 2023, in Portola Valley, California.
In Memoriam: Richard Hovannisian (1932-2023)
Over the course of six decades, no individual did more to shape Armenian Studies, and certainly no one has done has much to advance and give legitimacy to the study of modern Armenian history, as Richard Hovannisian. The void left by his passing is enormous. We are fortunate, however, that the legacy of his life and work is even larger; and his legacy will endure.
In Memoriam: Dennis Papazian (1931-2023)
The NAASR Board of Directors and staff join with many worldwide in mourning Dr. Dennis Papazian (1931-2023), a friend and colleague and contributor to multiple aspects of academia, Armenian-American life, and Armenian Studies for decades. He was a Charter Member of NAASR, having joined in 1955, and a NAASR Life Member. He served as a NAASR Regional Director for Michigan from 1967-71, on the NAASR Board of Directors from 1973-1990, and for decades as a member of the NAASR Academic Advisory Committee.
In Memoriam: Edward Avedisian (1937-2022) ~ NAASR Board Member and Philanthropist
With great sadness, NAASR joins with family and friends and the Armenian community worldwide in mourning the passing of Edward Avedisian on December 7, 2022. Avedisian, a world-class clarinetist who performed with the Boston Pops for 35 years and the Boston Ballet Orchestra for 43 seasons, among other orchestras, served on the NAASR Board of Directors since 2016 and was principal benefactor for NAASR’s Vartan Gregorian Building which opened in 2019. Click here for a video honoring Ed Avedisian (2021).
IN MEMORIAM: PROF. NINA G. GARSOIAN 1923-2022
NAASR joins with a community of scholars and friends around the world who mourn the passing of one of the titans of the field of Armenian Studies: Prof. Nina G. Garsoian 1923-2022). No short overview can do justice to Prof. Garsoian’s enormous contributions as a researcher, teacher, mentor, and exemplar.
In Memoriam: Lucy Der Manuelian (1928-2021)
With great sadness NAASR shares the news of the passing of Dr. Lucy Der Manuelian of Belmont, Massachusetts, at the age of 93. Der Manuelian was the first holder of the Arthur H. Dadian and Ara Oztemel Professor of Armenian Art at Tufts University and, indeed, was instrumental in the establishment of that chair, the first and only one in Armenian art in the United States.
In Memoriam: George Bournoutian (1943-2021): Prolific and Dedicated Scholar and Friend
George Bournoutian (1943-2021) Prolific and Dedicated Scholar and Friend NAASR joins with scholars and friends all over the world in mourning the passing of an esteemed colleague, Prof. George Bournoutian. While wishing to honor his stated wishes that no outpourings of sentiment follow his death, out of respect for his enormous contributions we offer this brief appreciation and extend our deepest sympathies to his family.George Bournoutian was born and raised in Isfahan, Iran. Over the course of a long and productive career he published more than thirty books as author or translator which have been translated into many languages, and...
In Memoriam: Van M. Aroian (1927-2021) ~ Long-Serving NAASR Board Member and Charter Member
NAASR announces with sadness the passing on July 14, 2021 of Van M. Aroian of Worcester, MA, the senior member of its Board of Directors, at the age of 94. Aroian was a Charter Member of NAASR, having joined in the organization’s first year, 1955, and served on its Board of Directors since 1992, including many years on the Executive Committee.
IN MEMORIAM: Vartan Gregorian, 1934 -2021
With great sadness and profound respect, we mourn the passing of Vartan Gregorian, brilliant educator, generous-hearted humanitarian, and friend after whom NAASR’s beautiful new headquarters is named. May his legacy continue to inspire generations to come.