Dikran Vosgouny rests in peace

Posted 04 March 2005

We open his website www.vosgouny.com, a known source of information for Armenians worldwide, and read on the upper part of the main page: “Mr. Dikran Vosgouny is seriously ill and will not be updating his website until further notice. He wishes to thank all his faithful readers for their support. Building and maintaining this website has been his pleasure and he hopes his audience has enjoyed it as much as he has”.

He was not able to recover from his illness and died on 26th February 2005. However, he did not forget to thank his readers, even when he was critically ill. It is our turn now to express our THANKS in big words to this man who devoted his pen to his nation. He believed in the power of the word and when the age of internet came, he embraced the new wave and established his famous website.

He used to write in clear Western Armenian language, entertaining the readers with the choices of words that he made. The amazing thing was that he managed to cover almost every important topic on the Armenian agenda, not only by printing the news as they came but also by leaving his distinct mark through his highly valued commentaries.

His last editorial was about the sending of the Armenian troops to Iraq. After analyzing the position of all party-affiliated and individual parliamentarians in the decision voting process of the Armenian National Assembly, he pointed out that, for the first time, the interests of Armenia and Diaspora were contradicting. He concluded “In the final verdict, the interests of Armenia should weigh more. There is no other way to run a country. No other way to exist as a country”. He was a real and self-denying patriot.

See the obituary of Dikran Vosgouny as appeared in the 1st March 2005 issue of the “San Francisco Chronicle”

VOSGOUNY, Dikran – Passed away February 26, 2005. He is survived by his loving wife, Ishkhanouhi Karamardian; his two daughters, Suzy Alexander, her husband, Kent and their daughters, Taleen and Tamara; and Houry Viola, her husband, Richard and their daughter, Nicole Hoag; and many loving family members and friends.

He was born in Damascus, Syria on May 29, 1925. He was a world renowned Armenian journalist, editor and author (“Burning Cedars”) for 60 years. In his later years, he embraced the internet as his media for publishing articles on Armenian life and other topics of political and cultural interest on his very popular web site “vosgouny.com.”

He passionately maintained the web site and gained world-wide acclaim from his ever growing devoted Armenian readers. In 2003, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians granted him the St. Mesrob Mashdots Medal of Honor for his intellectual endeavors in Armenian life.

He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He left a legacy of search for the truth and unyielding belief in a greater future.

Visitation Services will be held Tuesday, March 1, 2005, 7:30 pm, Ashley & McMullen Funeral Home, 4200 Geary Blvd, SF. Memorial services will be held Wednesday, March 2, 2005, 12:30 pm, St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church, 51 Commonwealth Ave, SF, followed by Burial services, Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, Colma.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to KZV Armenian School, 825 Brotherhood Way, SF, 94132.