Obituary: Onnic Marashian (1925-2014)

His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan and the Religious and Executive Councils announce with sorrow the passing of Onnic Marashian, a long-time servant of the Armenian Church. He was a Pillar of the Prelacy and was awarded the Prince of Cilicia insignia in recognition of his many years of service to the Armenian Church and the Eastern Prelacy. Onnic died on April 22, after a short illness.

Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, of blessed memory, decorates Onnic Marashian with the Prince of Cilicia insignia, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the Holy See of Cilicia, in May 1996.

A National Funeral (Azkayin Taghoum) will take place at Sts. Vartanantz Church, 461 Bergen Boulevard, in Ridgefield, N.J., on Sat., April 26, with visiting from 10-11 a.m., and funeral services at 11 a.m., with the Prelate, Archbishop Oshagan, officiating. Interment will follow at George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus. A memorial luncheon will be offered at Sts. Vartanantz Church.

Onnic is survived by his wife, Vergine; his daughter Hera and her husband John Williams; son Mardic and his wife Carol; and five grandchildren. A son, Asbed, and daughter-in-law, Sosy, and a brother, Joseph, predeceased him.

Onnic Marashian served on the Prelacy’s Executive Council for many years beginning in 1979 and continuing on until 1999. During his tenure he served as the council’s secretary for a number of years and as its chairman from 1994-99. He served as a delegate to the World General Assembly in Antelias, Lebanon; was elected to the Central Executive in Antelias; and served as a delegate to the Prelacy’s National Representative Assembly. The Prince of Cilicia medal, the highest civilian award offered by the Holy See of Cilicia, was presented to him in May 1996.

Marashian was a well-known specialist in the energy industry and was employed for many years by the McGraw-Hill Company, where he served as editor-in-chief of the influential publication Platt’s Oilgram. Following his retirement, McGraw-Hill retained him as a consultant for many years. He is the author of numerous articles in his field of expertise, where he was an internationally recognized, respected, and honored colleague.

In lieu-of-flowers donations may be made to the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America and to Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church.