Ara Garo Hollisian of Weymouth, Massachusetts, passed away on September 16, 2023. He was the beloved husband of June (Samourian) Hollisian; devoted father of Christopher and his wife Sixx, Stephen, and Ani Hollisian; cherished grandfather of Lucia Hollisian; and uncle of Sharis Barkhordarian.
He was the loving brother of the late Raffi Hollisian and the late Tamar (Hollisian) Barkhordarian and nephew to Hrach (Charlie), Levoun (Leo), and Zevart (Zee) Hollisian, Marie Chichmanian, Eugene Hagopian, Ovssanna DerSimonian, and Katchik Batalian.
Ara is also survived by many loving cousins and friends.
Born on April 10, 1957, in Boston, Massachusetts to Herant (Harry) and Zarouhi (Batalian) Hollisian, he grew up in Watertown, surrounded by the Armenian community for which he had great pride. After graduating from Watertown High School, he attended Northeastern University. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
In his youth, Ara’s passion for music translated into a profound talent for drumming. He played in many bands and could always be found tapping to a beat, no matter the surface. He was also an avid sports fan and loved to watch any game from the comfort of his home.
After marrying his sweetheart, he entered the audio-visual industry, first as an owner-operator of Movies & More in Braintree, and later pursuing his self-taught talent of videography through his second business, AJC Video Productions. From weddings to legal depositions, Ara worked tirelessly to support his family. Although he was a hard worker, he never missed a swimming lesson, a soccer practice, a piano recital or a church event that his children participated in. He never missed a moment of their lives because being a father was more important than anything else.
Ara loved to share his hobbies and passions with his family. He enjoyed tinkering with model trains with his son, Christopher. He was a talented chess and tavloo player and loved to frequently play tournaments with his son, Stephen. His love of music created an emotional connection with his daughter, Ani. And with his wife, June, he simply shared his life, his heart and his soul.
He lived a happy, devout life committed to his Christian faith and the Armenian church. He served on Holy Trinity’s Parish Council for six years, serving as vice chairman from 2013-2014, and was co-chairman of the bazaar for seven years. He had immense love for his Armenian ethnicity and vowed to raise his children in the church.
Ara felt honored to care for his Aunt Zee in the last years of her life, never missing a single Saturday with her even while he was sick. He loved his family more than anything in this world and felt their continuous presence, both in life and death. He died feeling their love and hearing their voices. He will truly be missed by all who had the honor of knowing him.
Visiting hours will be from 10 a.m.-12 noon at Holy Trinity Armenian Church, 145 Brattle Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts on Saturday, September 23, 2023, immediately prior to the funeral service at noon. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Multiple Myeloma Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, PO Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284-9168 (by phone to 1-800-525-4669 or dana-farber.org/give) or Holy Trinity Armenian Church.
Interment will be at Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Watertown.
Guest Contributor
Asdvatz Hokin Louysavoreh. May the Holy Spirit comfort
his family during this difficult time.