John Varoujan Kupelian

John Varoujan Kupelian, 95, of Houston Texas, passed away on July 23, 2025. He was born on March 8, 1930 to parents Alexander and Marie in Iskenderun (Alexandrette) Turkey. He and his family grew up in Lebanon, celebrating their rich Armenian heritage with many other family members as his father worked in construction. When his father passed away while John was only 16, he continued the family business and worked to get his mother Marie, brother Al, and sister Alice safely to the United States before following there himself. The story of his journey here is one of great bravado, and we will gladly share with any who might ask. He and his brother Al continued in their father's footsteps as commercial construction contractors for many years with projects in Texas and Florida. John had a great mind in engineering and all things "fix it", especially electronics. His main motto was "There's always a solution", and then he would try to help find it, whether it was something broken that needing fixing, or a life circumstance that needed thoughtful guidance. He instilled these qualities into his daughters and we are deeply blessed through it.

John is preceded in death by his mother, father, daughter Betsy, brother Al, sister Alice, and many other cousins and loved ones. He was amazed in his last months, that he was the last one standing from the family.

And stand he did. Despite declining strength, up until his last four days he was functional and productive, fixing things around the house and refurbishing his grill with a rolling wheel platform that he fashioned himself with metal he cut, and wheels he bought the prior week. His goal was to live to 100 and he had just upgraded
his iPhone and bought a new computer. Even at age 95 he embraced technology more than most.

Left behind to cherish his memory are his wife, Blanca Gladis Alvarenga, and her vibrant family, his three surviving daughters, Amy, and husband Joe (Minnick), Karen, and husband Tracy (Taylor), Kathy, and husband Didier (DeCoopman), his first wife who is the girls' mother, Margaret Kupelian, his second wife MaryJane Mautz and her son Rob, nephews Alex, John, nieces, Ida, Lisa, Sandy, and many other relatives and friends.

He was the kind of man who made an impression on those he met, ready to engage in conversation with others, often in their native language, as he spoke eight languages and was always eager to converse in them. He was a gardener who was avid about his beautiful fig trees, a fisherman, a problem solver, kind and generous, a man who has touched our lives forever and has given us reason to thank God each day for having known him. We can only be thankful he is in heaven with his Father Creator, Jesus Savior, and blessed family. He is and will be always forever in our hearts… John was compassionate and concerned when people's needs were not being met.

In lieu of flowers anyone wishing to make a donation in his honor may send it to the Houston Food Bank.
https://secure.houstonfoodbank.org/site/Donation2?df_id=15134&mfc_pref=T&15134.donation=form1