Obituary: Onnig Hachigian (1924-2014)

On the afternoon of Dec. 13, the Detroit-Armenian community lost one of its most prominent elders, Onnig Hachigian. Onnig was born on July 22, 1924, in Massena, N.Y., the son of Takvor and Heghina Hachigian. When he was four years old, the family moved to Detroit, Mich. Onnig was a staunch member of the St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church in Dearborn, and an ardent past member of the AYF and ARF. He was the beloved husband of Shooshanik (Findikian) and the father of Hagop (Niky), Levon (Susan), and Sarkis (Diane), and grandfather of Christina, Stephen, and Ryan. He is survived by two sisters, Annie Almasian (Humpo) and Rose Mouradian (George). His older sister, Taqouhi, died in 1998. At his funeral tribute, Ned Apigian spoke about how Onnig was a role model in the ARF and to the young members of the AYF. Ned said he honored the wisdom and organizational ability of Onnig, who did not realize he was acting as a mentor; whenever he had a problem, he looked to his unknowing councilor for advice and direction. Onnig, he related, used to proudly talk about how, in 1933, he was in the reception committee as a nine-year-old lad when Karekin Nejdeh arrived at the Detroit train station. Onnig was a member and chairman of the Board of Trustees of St. Sarkis for four terms, a delegate to the National Representatives Assembly, and the Prelacy representative of the church for four years. Five months before his death, he was presented the Eastern Prelacy Eagle Award for his devoted and exceptional service to the church. Greg Vartanian, chairman of the Board of Trustees, spoke of Onnig’s long service to the church and how frequently he had to travel to distant cities to accomplish the aims of the church and the Prelacy. Onnig was a kind man who loved his family and friends. Christina, his granddaughter, spoke about how loving he was to everyone, including the two cats that lived with them after his beloved wife Shooshanik passed away 11 years ago. Christina talked about how energetic he was about sports, as a staunch supporter of the Detroit Tigers, Lions, and Red Wings. Onnig also served as a manager for the AYF basketball team in its heyday, and for the Armenian soccer teams that were so prevalent in the 1970’s and 1980’s. George Mouradian recalled Onnig's love of camping, how he usually wanted to be the chief chef, and his time in General George Patton's Third Army. He was a certified sharpshooter; his son Levon may have acquired his shooting genes, as he participates in international competitions. Onnig was an average golfer, but with his three sons they were trophy winners at the St. Sarkis outings. Onnig loved to travel, especially to Armenia and on car trips to Nova Scotia and to Banff in the Canadian Rockies. He also spent much of his time helping displaced persons from Armenia settle in the Detroit area, find jobs, and ease their way into the American way of life. Several of the displaced persons stayed with his family until they were able to settle in their own quarters. The testimonies offered during the funeral were strong tributes to Onnig's life. The speakers talked about how generous he was, and how he was sometimes controversial with politics and church matters, but always strived to do the correct thing in life. At church general membership meetings, he’d often settle arguments with his knowledge of the bylaws. The speakers wished the family well and to, whenever possible, carry on the energy and effort he presented to the church and community.

Obituary: Onnig Hachigian (1924-2014)

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