ARTOON SEMPADIAN Obituary

Father Artoon Sempadian was born on February 22, 1928, in Beirut, Lebanon. His parents, Arsene and Paylik Sempadian, gave him the name, Manoug, at baptism. He passed away in his home on Sunday, January 15, 2012, with his loving family at his side after a long illness. At age twelve, he was admitted to the St. James Seminary of the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem. Upon graduation, he entered the Theological School and was ordained deacon by Patriarch Cyril I. He was invited to the United States in 1950 by Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan to study at Seabury Western Episcopal Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. He also served as deacon at that time in Racine, Wisconsin, where he met and married Betty Borian, and where he was ordained into the sacred priesthood of the Armenian Church and served for five years. In 1955, he was called to assume the pastorate of St. John Armenian Church in San Francisco. There he undertook the planning and supervision of the construction of a new church complex and served fourteen fulfilling years as pastor. He accepted the position of first executive director of the newly established Armenian Church Endowment Fund based in New York City, traveling extensively throughout the United States. He returned to California in 1977. He continued his service as visiting priest at St. James parish in Sacramento. Later he assumed the position of executive director of the newly established Western Diocese Endowment Fund. He retired in 1993, after three years as parish priest of St. Mary in Yettem. He was a contributor to several publications, writing especially about the Armenian Church. He was predeceased by sons, Michael and Tiran; his sisters, Nevere, Knar; and brother Joseph. He is survived by Betty, his wife of 61 years; his son John; as well as grandchildren, Kimo, Tarani and Sara; three great-grandchildren, and many loving cousins, nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held at Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Home on Thursday, January 19, 2012 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. followed by an Evening Service at 7:00 p.m. The Funeral Service is scheduled at St. John Armenian Apostolic Church in San Francisco on Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. Burial will be at Cypress Lawn Cemetery in Colma, Ca. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to The Fr. Artoon Sempadian Library Memorial Fund at St. John Armenian Church, 275 Olympia Way, San Francisco, Ca., 94131; or the St. Agnes Hospice team, 6729 N. Willow, Ste. 103, Fresno, 93710. Their loving care will never be forgotten.

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Published by Fresno Bee on Jan. 19, 2012.

Memories and Condolences
for ARTOON SEMPADIAN

10 Entries

Kristen

March 15, 2023

Something to reflect just a little bit of John Sempadian´s Positiity back out into the Universe:

A note from Craig:
John was a pure and simple soul. His simplicity was in how small was his quest for sentient materialism. His purity was an undiluted love of humanity. John´s generosity was boundless. His concern for others enlightened and expansive. He was a fun, colorful, entertaining, intelligent, inventive, resourceful person. The scales of righteousness are greatly tipped by his passing. The world is that much heavier without John´s presence. All who knew him will long remember the impression on their lives the elegant Mr. Sempadian left with them. He will be cherished in our hearts for the duration.

A note from Kristen:
One of the best of human beings has left the world and someone I am proud to call one of my very best friends. I met John Sempadian in the 1980´s and have not gone more than a few weeks without seeing or talking to him ever since.
Throughout all my years in San Francisco, John was the best of companions - not just because he was always the one that helped me move more than a few times and once all the way to NM, repaired all the stuff I broke that could be fixed, and gifted me with countless antique and sturdy hand tools - but because we shared a love of back roads, old bookstores, dusty curiosity shops, weird estate sales, beach caves you could walk in before the tide came, and people with great stories, and John knew them all and everywhere there was a friend and you would be welcomed because you were with John.
No one who lived on Stanyan St after the `89 earthquake will forget we lost all the power and the only working TV for the night was the one rigged to the back of John´s old truck with fifty gauges that measured I don´t know...everything, parked on the corner so we could see the news. One day some months later John brought me to his residence at the time on Cole St and showed me that same truck completely taken apart and spread out on the garage floor like a map. All I could say was Wow and John thought for a minute and said "Maybe I shouldn´t have done that." HIs curiosity and knowledge about how things worked was boundless.
The last time I got to see John was when we met in Dallas and went to Dealey Plaza and the Sixth Floor Book Depository Museum but of course the headphone tour was not good enough for John so we had to explore the entire area, climb over the grassy knoll, and sneak through a fence to walk around some train tracks and at some point I wondered aloud so do you think we may be venturing onto some sort of private or restricted property and like could be arrested or something and John said "Well that would make this trip REALLY interesting wouldn´t it?" It was great fun.
My partner Craig has this old leather/suede car coat/jacket with a lot of rips, holes, some grease stains and half a pocket missing. I asked him one day if he thought he should maybe replace the jacket, it looked like it had been through a hurricane and he said "I can´t replace this jacket - John Sempadian gave me this jacket."
John will be missed so much by his friends and his beloved family. I am not sure what´s beyond this life, it´s the great unknown. But if it is a place and you can meet old friends, I will be happy to see John, and I know he will have already fixed the plumbing and painted the place, and there will be some great back roads and some really interesting adventures.

Susan Movsesian

February 5, 2012

Dear Yn Betty, Our sincerest condolences. What a beautiful idea to have your dear husband, Der Artoon's obituary & guest book online. He will be greatly missed. He married my parents, Sam & Jennie Boranian. My Uncle Harry had the honor of standing in as Godfather at Der Artoon's ordination. What a blessing he was and you are to the many lives you both have touched. Our prayer is that on those difficult days you are comforted by our Lord's love through all the caring compassion of friends and family.
Der Vazken dedicated the song of the day, in his weekly podcast,to Der Artoon memory. It was titled Hayrik, by Norayr Kartashyan. Should you like to hear it, visit epostle.net and click on archive. It is podcast # 189 and actually aired on the day of Der hayr's funeral service on Thursday.
Much love,
Der Hayr & Yn Susan Movsesian

Cheryl Dempsey

January 21, 2012

My thoughts and prayers are with you Betty and your family during your loss of such a wonderful man. Rest in Peace our beloved Artoon Sempadian.
Love, Cheryl

Vaughn Hovanessian <Hogikyan>

January 21, 2012

Father Artoon and his family have a special and fond place in my memory. I wish his family the best.

January 19, 2012

Der Hayr married Ralph and me, officiated at the babtism of our daughters, and was always present at all important occasions in our family. Both Der Hayr and Betty were wonderful friends. We shall always keep him in our hearts. All our love,
Elise and Ralph Kazanjian, San Francisco, CA

Brian Krikorian

January 19, 2012

Dear Yeretzgin and family. My heartfelt condolences to you. Der Artoon was a great man and spiritual. I will always look back with fondness the time we spent with you and him and my father and mother in Yosemite. I am glad that my dad will have his company in heaven. Love Brian Krikorian

Vonnie Madigan

January 19, 2012

Artoon and Betty were the guiding lights for our marriage. Just today, I discovered the silver dollars he gave out twin daughters at their baptism. Our love and prayers to the family, Vonnie Madigan and Richard Osborn

Valerie and Chris Kreger

January 19, 2012

What a wonderful man, friend and neighbor, helpful to all. His journey here on earth had ended, but he is in Heaven now with his Father. No more earthly suffering. He will live on in our hearts and his deeds will be everlasting. Our prayers to his family and friends

Robert Srabian

January 18, 2012

Fr. Artoon was my first spiritual mentor in San Francisco, The sadness of his loss the day after the loss of my wife leaves me with a heavy heart. I will miss him.

Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Chapel

January 17, 2012

Offering our deepest condolences during this difficult time.

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