Siroon "Sarah" Hovannisian

SIROON SARAH HOVANNISIAN December 15, 1909 - October 15, 2005 Great Matriarch Atop Family Tree Of Four Sons, Fourteen Grandchildren, And Thirty-One Great-Grandchildren

Siroon (Sarah) Hovannisian was born in Kharpert, historic Armenia on December 15, 1909. She immigrated to the United States with her parents, Sarkis and Sara Nalbandian in 1912, first settling in Chicago where her brothcr Martin (Mardiros) was born and then moving to Tulare where her siblings Margaret, Michael, and Charlotte were born. The child of hardworking immigrants, Siroon, too, worked on the family farm and in canneries to assist the family, while at the same time attending Tulare city schools. In 1927, Siroon married Kasper Hovannisian and they were blessed with a family of four sons, John, Ralph, Richard, and Vernon. With her husband Kasper, she turned their home. into a gathering place for compatriotic and civic organizations, offering hospitality to old and new acquaintances and to visiting Armenian intellectuals and political leaders who stayed in their modest farmhouse in Tulare. In 1961, the Hovannisians moved their family hearth from Tulare to their Sunnyside home in Fresno. Siroon was very active in community and civic pursuits, serving in many positions, including president of the Parent Teachers Association, the Emblem Club, and the Armenian Relief Society, of which she was a member for more than 50 years. Siroon was a longtime member of Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church's Trinity Guild and Women's Guild, and was recognized by the church as the Mother of the Year for her dedication and service. She was also honored with the national Mother of the Year Award bestowed by the Armenian Church Prelacy in New York. Fresno County singled her out as its Mother of the Year as well. In addition to her volunteer work for the City of Hope, the Heart Fund and the March of Dimes, Siroon was the recipient of the International Institute's Foreign Born Citizen of the Year Award. For years she volunteered at the California Home for the Aged, teaching crafts to the residents, and was often found in the Holy Trinity Church kitchen preparing Armenian foods and serving meals to support the church. She was particularly loved and respected by the late supreme patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church, His Holiness Karekin, who visited her on several occasions. Siroon was an extraordinary individual, combining two worlds - the traditional and ancient world of Armenia and the English speaking, modern American world. She moved with ease ftom one to another, and lived and flourished in both. She was preceded in her passing by her husband Kasper in 1970; and her son Ralph in 2001. She is survived by the extended families of John and Vars Hovannisian, Marian and Ralph Hovannisian, Richard and Vartiter Hovannisian, and Vernon and Carol Hovannisian. Visitation will be held at Yost & Webb Funeral Home on Wednesday, October 19, 2005, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., with a Home Service at 7:00 p.m. A Funeral Service will be held at Holy Trinity Armenian Church on Thursday, October 20, 2005, at 10:00 a.m. followed by interment at Masis Ararat Cemetery. In Lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Kasper and Siroon Hovannnisian Cultural Foundation, 15456 Valley Vista Blvd., Sherman Oaks, California, 91403. YOST & WEBB FUNERAL HOME1002 "T" St. 237-4147