WATERTOWN, Mass. — Jirair Haratunian, 82, died on Monday, August 9, leaving a rich legacy of service to the people of Armenia and the United States.
He was born in New York City in 1927 to Mihran and Maryam (Eghigian) Haroutounian, both from the village of Kahrad in Sebastia and survivors of the Genocide.
Throughout his life, Haratunian played a leadership role in Armenian organizations. In his youth, he was a frequent delegate to the AYF annual convention and was elected to its Central Executive committee. He was one of the founders of the American Committee for the Independence of Armenia, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s political action committee, which later became the Armenian National Committee.
Beginning in the 1950s, Haratunian also was actively involved in efforts to unify the church rift between Antilias and Echmiadzin churches in the United States and Canada. After those efforts failed, he served on the Central Executive Council of the Prelacy and as a delegate to — and chairman of — the church’s National Representative Assembly. In the 1960s, he was an active member of the committee that purchased the Soorp Khatch Church in Washington, DC, and that built its
community center.
Most recently, Haratunian was a frequent commentator of current affairs and regular contributor to the Armenian Mirror-Spectator and ArmeniaNow.
Haratunian was particularly active in the Armenian Assembly of America, attending the Airlie House conference in the early 1970s that served as the catalyst in the formation of the Assembly, serving as vice chairman of the Assembly’s Board of Directors from 1984 to 1986 and as its chairman from 1986-1989. As chairman, Haratunian helped lead the US humanitarian relief effort in response to the devastating 1988 earthquake in Armenia, supported Armenia’s independence and the
Karabagh Movement, and played a central role in the Assembly’s efforts to secure US reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide. Haratunian had the distinction of serving as master of ceremonies at the Assembly’s 1987 Tribute Banquet honoring California Gov. George Deukmejian, where he welcomed Vice President George H.W. Bush, Sen. Edward Kennedy (DMA) and Sen. Robert Dole (R-KS). Haratunian also served as chair of the Assembly’s Office of Research and Analysis and as vice chairman of the Assembly’s Armenian National Institute (ANI).
