In Memory of Zareh Assadour Chalian

Zareh Assadour Chalian passed away peacefully at age 91 on September 4, 2023 in his home in Burbank, California surrounded by his family.

Throughout his life, Zareh devoted himself to his family, his Armenian Apostolic faith, his career as a civil engineer and, above all, to Hai Tahd, the Armenian Cause. Born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1932, Zareh obtained his French baccalaureate “mathelem” and continued his studies at the Université St. Joseph, graduating with a degree in civil engineering.

In addition to his fluency in French and his native Armenian, he also spoke Arabic, Turkish, English and the Hadjin dialect of his ancestors. He was intensely focused on his studies, graduating first in his class in college. He applied this same intensity to pass the Professional Engineering licensing exam in New Jersey and California – which he prepared for by teaching himself the English version of all that he learned at his French college.

Zareh married Annie Baghdassarian in 1968 in Beirut. After welcoming daughters Maral, Arpi and Hoori, the family moved to the United States, fleeing the Lebanese Civil War. They settled in Fort Wayne, Indiana, then moved to Toms River, New Jersey, where they raised their children. In New Jersey, Zareh worked as a civil engineer for a real estate development company.

Even in his professional life, Zareh never missed an opportunity to spread awareness about Armenia and Hai Tahd. While working on a new development project in Toms River, he ensured that one of the streets was named “Armenia Drive.” To this day, a replica of this street sign is proudly displayed in his family home, a nod to his work as a professional civil engineer and a testament to his pride in his heritage.

Zareh and Annie moved their family to Los Angeles in 1986 when he joined its Department of Water and Power. He retired in 2002, culminating a professional career that spanned five decades. He received many recognitions and commendations during his long career. He was particularly proud that, as a young engineer, he was selected to represent the Lebanese Ministry of Water and Power Resources in France for a six-month project working with colleagues in the French Ministry of Public Works.

He held leadership positions in many community organizations. In Beirut, he served on the governing committee of the Order of Engineers and Architects, the founding Board of Trustees of the Levon and Sofia Hagopian Armenian College and as a member of the Executive Committee of the A.R.F. Zavarian Student Association. In the U.S., Zareh was a founding member of the Burbank Aghbalian Chapter of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and active in civic life in Burbank.

Zareh was passionate about researching the Chalian family origins. One of his favorite pastimes was sharing the stories of his ancestors, heroes from the town of Hadjin in Cilicia, Western Armenia. Upon retirement, he dedicated himself to compiling the memoirs of his father Assadour, chronicling life before and during the Armenian Genocide and the displaced Armenian community’s resettlement in Beirut. With support from his entire family, he published the book Proud Son of Hadjin. He spent countless hours and sleepless nights gathering information, translating old documents, and contacting scholars and organizations who were also dedicated to preserving Armenian history. His laser-like focus on this work was a reflection of his loyal dedication to serving the Cause. The family he and Annie created and his extended Chalian kertastan proudly reflect his Armenian spirit.

Funeral services followed by interment will be held on September 23, 2023 at 9 a.m. at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Old North Church, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90068.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Annie (Baghdassarian); his daughter, Maral Chalian; his daughter and son-in-law, Arpi Chalian and Zareh Khachatourian; his grandchildren, Siran and Gayané; his daughter and son-in-law, Hoori Chalian and Mike Panu; his grandchildren Zabelle and Haig; his sister, Maro Chalian Read; his sister-in-law, Maral Chalian; his nephews and nieces Chris (Laurie) Chalian, Alice Chalian Manoukian (Arthur), Gena Douzdjian (Viken), Garo Chalian (Val), Raffi Chalian (Anush), Armen Chalian (Maro), Ara Chalian (Talar), Vicken Chalian, Luci Chalian, Sona Cleary (John) and Sam Read (Jenny); and the Chamsarian and Baghdassarian families along with many beloved cousins and friends.

He is predeceased by his brother Garo; brother and sister-in-law Varoujan and Zaroug; and brother and sister-in-law Toros and Ani.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Armenian National Committee of America, 1711 N Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20036.