National, International, Armenia, and Community News and Opinion

8 The Armenian Reporter | May 2, 2009CommunitySarkis Kojoyian, 84,was a MassachusettsbenefactorWESTBORO, Mass. – SarkisKojoyian of Westboro, Mass., diedon Monday March 9, 2009, aftera two-year battle with cancer. Mr.Kojoyian was 84 years old.A lifelong resident of Westboro,Mr. Kojoyan was the son of Vahanand Miriam Kojoyian, who bothpredeceased him in 1967.In his youth Mr. Kojoyian ranhis family’s poultry and vegetablefarm on route 9 in Westboro. Thefarm was honored by the UnitedStates government for providingfood for the war effort in the earlyand mid 1940s. He graduated fromWestboro High School in 1943 andattended the Worcester Art MuseumSchool. He later became thefounder and president of BelmontProperties and was responsible forthe development of major portionsof route 9 in Westboro, which hadbeen the Kojoyian family farm andother properties which he lateracquired. Sears, Levitz Furniture,Somerville Lumber, and automobiledealerships were among histenants.Mr. Kojoyian was a well-knownfigure and very active in his community.He served as chair ofthe Planning Board in Westboro,Mass., for many years. He servedas the chair of many other boardsand committees in Westboro. Hewas honored for his longstandingcontributions to the Westboro FireDepartment and had been a memberof the Siloam Masonic Lodgesince 1948. Mr. Kojoyian was anauthority on, and avid collector of,antique automobiles and was thefounder and first president of theAntique Automobile Club of Massachusetts.Mr. Kojoyian donatedan antique airplane, and otheritems of historical significance, tothe permanent collection of theSmithsonian Institution in Washington.Mr. Kojoyian was a member ofthe Armenian Revolutionary Federation.He was a member of theArmenian Youth Federation andwas sworn into the organizationSarkis Kojoyian.by General Karekin Njdeh, thefounder of the AYF. He also served,for many years, as the chair of theBoard of Trustees for the ArmenianApostolic Holy Trinity Churchin Worcester, Mass. In that capacity,he hosted Catholicos KarekinI Sarkissian, of blessed memory,when His Holiness visited Massachusettsand the Kojoyian familyhome.Mr. Kojoyian was involved inthe creation of Camp Haiastan, inFranklin Mass., an Armenian youthsummer camp, and donated manyof the original cabins that werethere in the early years of the camp’sexistence. He was also a member ofthe Armenian Men’s Club.Mr. Kojoyian is survived by hisbeloved wife of 59 years, Rose GarabedianKojoyian, son GregoryKojoyian, daughter Melanie Kojoyian,brother Avedis Kojoyian ofVirginia, nephews Art and ArmenKojoyian, and grandnephews Zacharyand Michael Kojoyian.Donations in lieu of flowersmay be sent to the Armenian ApostolicHoly Trinity Church, 635Grove Street, Worcester, Mass.,where a memorial service washeld March 16.Prof. Hovannisian to lecture on changinglandscape of Western ArmeniaFRAMINGHAM, Mass. – Thelandscape of Historic Western Armeniais ever changing. The mysticalnames of the villages, towns,and provinces of a now-vanishedgeneration remain deeply imbeddedin the minds and hearts ofmany descendants. But how similarare the imagined homeland andthe existing landscape?After many years of hesitation,Prof. Richard Hovannisian set outon a quest to reconcile the “imagined”with the “real.” His travelstook him through a part of the historicprovinces from Trebizond onthe Black Sea to Baiburt, Erzerum,Kemakh, Agn, Kharpert, Dersim,Palu, Mush, Bitlis, and Van. He willpresent his impressions in an illustratedpresentation in this specialevent for the Greater Boston audience.The aef Professor of Modern ArmeniaHistory at ucla will lectureFriday, May 8, 7:30 p.m., at the ArmenianChurch of the Holy Translators,38 Franklin St., Framingham,cosponsored by the NationalAssn. for Armenian Studies andResearch, Holy Translators, andthe Armenian Assembly. A receptionand booksigning will concludethe program.Dr. Hovannisian is the author ofthe four-volume history The Republicof Armenia, Armenia on the Roadto Independence, 1918, and has editedand contributed to more thantwenty books including The ArmenianImage in History and Literature,The Armenian Genocide in Perspective,The Armenian People From Ancientto Modern Times , Remembrance andDenial: The Case of the ArmenianGenocide, Looking Backward, MovingForward: Confronting the ArmenianGenocide, and numerous volumeson historic Armenian cities andprovinces.Let us know what’s on your mind.Write to us atletters@reporter.am