Dear Diana and family,
We have not yet come out of the state of shock caused to us by the sad news of Ara’s timeless departure.
It is exceedingly difficult to say goodbye to a friend with whom one still has pending conversations, with whom one still has projects in common, with whom one still wants to eat a piece of bread and toast …
Ara welcomed us in this great city of Los Angeles; he organized a beautiful ceremony in front of the monument to the martyrs in Montebello: Ara was our host.
Everything will be recorded in our memory and feelings, like his trip to Argentina on occasion of the presentation of his book «Heroes of Odla», in Spanish, or for the South American meeting of the Odla that took place in Buenos Aires in 2008.
Ara was shaped with the ideals of preservation of Armenity in his family, through AGBU’s youth league, and these ideals were instilled in him by a huge group of intellectuals like Arshag Chobanian, Vahemalezian, Vahan Tekeyan, Parunag Tomasian, Kersam Aharonian, Hrach Setrakian, among others, who carried that torch to death and remained loyal to their companions and Ramgavar principles.
Dear Ara, you will always be remembered as one of those who remained loyal to his peers and upheld the ramgavar principles to the end.