Memory of Kevork Hovnanian Honored in Service at St. Vartan Cathedral
13 October 2011
On Sunday, October 9, a beautiful service at New York’s St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral provided an opportunity to honor the memory of a remarkable leader of the Armenian Church: the late Kevork Hovnanian. Family, colleagues, and friends gathered to mark two years since Mr. Hovnanian’s passing.
Presiding over the occasion was His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, who had arrived in New York two days earlier.
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), celebrated the Divine Liturgy and delivered a homily reflecting on the significance of Mr. Hovnanian’s life.
“All of us can testify that Kevork Hovnanian was a man great in accomplishment; great in stature; a man of consequence in his profession and in the society around him,” he said. “And yet we can testify, too, that there was a tenderness about him; a spirit of kindness and human outreach; a down-to-earth quality that was every bit as unforgettable as the character traits that made him so extraordinary in his achievements.”
The Primate recalled Mr. Hovnanian’s spirit of outreach to fellow human beings, which “inspired his greatest acts of philanthropy and service: his heroic contributions to hospitals in New Jersey and New York; his immediate drive to reach out to people in the wake of the 9/11 attacks; and of course his incredible, indispensible leadership in the recovery and development of our homeland of Armenia, over a period of more than 20 years.”
As founding chairman of the Fund for Armenian Relief, Kevork Hovnanian led the Eastern Diocese’s outreach and development effort to the Republic of Armenia since the time of the 1988 earthquake.
Following the liturgy and requiem service, family members and close friends gathered at the University Club in Manhattan for a memorial meal.
His Holiness Karekin II presided over the gathering, where he spoke about Kevork Hovnanian’s remarkable efforts on behalf of Armenia and the worldwide Armenian Church, and fondly recalled Mr. Hovnanian’s virtues and piety.
Ara Hovnanian, Kevork’s son and longtime partner in business, offered a poignant reminiscence of his father and the gracious relationship they shared.
Brief remarks were also made by Archbishop Barsamian; Mr. Hovnanian’s son-in-law Dr. Tavit Najarian; and Rabbi Arthur Schneier, president of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, who had forged a friendship with Kevork Hovnanian through the latter’s humanitarian efforts.
All the speakers paid special tribute to Mrs. Sirvart Hovnanian for the strength and support she gave to her husband and family throughout their life together.
A brief video presentation brought the late Mr. Hovnanian’s voice and image into the presence of the assembled crowd, and related the story of his life through the personal remembrances those who knew him.
