IN MEMORIUM: AUA REMEMBERS MR. SARKIS ACOPIAN

AZG Armenian Daily
20/03/2007

A memorial ceremony commemorating the life of the great friend and
supporter of the American University of Armenia, Mr. Sarkis Acopian
(1926-2007), was held on March 14, 2007, at the University.

Speakers during the ceremony included His Holiness Karekin II,
the Catholicos of all Armenians, AUA President Haroutune Armenian,
Dr.Martin Adamyan, author of "A Field Guide to Birds of Armenia,"
and Mr. Karen Aghababyan, Coordinator of the Environmental and
Conservation Research Center at AUA.

Dr. Haroutune Armenian began the memorial with a talk in which he
described Mr. Sarkis Acopian as a person deeply concerned about
environmental conservation and environmental education and as an
initiator of many important industrial and scientific projects,
a benefactor of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and as a generous
supporter of a variety of development activities in the United States
and Armenia. "Mr. Acopian’s goal, which he obtained so brilliantly,
was to achieve the highest international standards in all his work. He
was an ingenious person, entrepreneurial, hard working, diligent,
and a man with the highest levels of integrity. His standards were so
impeccable that we can use his profile as a model for our students at
AUA to encourage them to emulate his approach to life. He was a model
of strong moral and ethical principles and it was a great pleasure
to know such a man," continued Dr. Armenian.

Karen Aghababyan, remembered Mr. Sarkis Acopian with a slide
presentation that covered the major activities of Mr. Acopian’s life
with a special focus on his generous contributions in Armenia in a
variety of areas from environmental protection to the building of
new churches.

His Holiness Karekin II, the Catholicos of all Armenians delivered
the eulogy in remembrance of Mr. Acopian, a person devoted to the
Armenian Church and the community at large for a very long time. "We
praise with our respect and gratitude the highly devoted Armenian
son, Sarkis Acopian. We have today the opportunity to live through
once again those beautiful moments and times which we enjoyed with
happiness together with Mr. Acopian and to share his ideals and his
very humane and God loving devotion to his motherland."

Mr. Sarkis Acopian made numerous donations to national and
international causes including the environmental education program
at the American University of Armenia and the Florida Institute of
Technology. Other major philanthropic endeavours included the Nature
Conservancy Acopian Bog Turtle Preserve, and the St. Sarkis Armenian
Apostolic Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, built in memory of
his beloved mother, Dr. Arax Acopian. Other important donations
have included gifts to the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the
Embassy of Armenia in Ottawa Canada, the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America, the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, the
Armenian Assembly of America, the Children’s Home of Easton and the
building of two churches in Armenia, St. Hakop and St. Mesrob. His
great sense of gratitude to his adopted country played a major part in
his being the largest individual donor to the World War II Memorial
in Washington, DC. He received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the
St. Gregory the Illuminator Medal, and an honorary Doctor of Science
degree from Muhlenberg College.