Bedrosian ARAM Funeral Home

Cambridge and Lexington, passed away on March 20 with his loving family by his side.Beloved father of John A. Esserian and his wife Jennifer, Pamela Esserian, Melanie Jandl, and her husband James. Proud and cherished grandfather of John and Robert Esserian, Samantha and Jillian Jandl. Loving brother of Gloria Kapalis, Helen Esserian, and the late Madeleine Koshgarian. Many special nieces, nephews, cousins, and long-time companion the late Marie Burch.Armen John Esserian was born July 15, 1928 to Arika and Jack in Watertown, Mass. His formative interests included Cartography, Classical Music, Fine Art, and Middle East History. In his Senior Honor’s year at Watertown High, Armen authored La Mer, a compilation of oceanic poetry paired with charming marine-themed sketches. This hard covered treasure of creativity was inspired by Debussy’s symphony, “La Mer”.Armen was awarded a full ROTC scholarship to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Impeccably timed, his graduating class of 1950 was the final eligible year of acceptance for WWII recruits. Armen’s path to becoming an engineer was afoot. While studying Economics and Engineering,. Esserian was also passionate about his aviation training. He often stopped by the family restaurant, Queens Lunch, before commuting by streetcar to classes in Cambridge. When the government no longer needed young servicemen after WWII, Mr. Esserian’s aviation dreams were replaced with another vision.After his MIT graduation, his career path led to the Star Market Supermarket chain. Amidst the food industry, Armen also known as John, applied his state-of-the-art insights. In 1957 he posted a letter to himself (MIT Library Archives), outlining a vision that would revolutionize the grocery industry forever. This historic letter included a block diagram of a computerized check-out System using a handheld “scanner” and pricing via data codes. In 1960, as president of his new company, “Character Recognition” or CHARECOGN, Inc., John designed a black and white circular... (Armenian Weekly)

A true visionary, Haig demonstrated a deep passion and dedication that made it possible for this institution to thrive and grow into the world-class Museum it is today.His commitment and perseverance were the driving force behind all of us who worked alongside him, and his example will guide us to continue his legacy.”Edmond Y. Azadian, president of the Tekeyan Cultural Association, in a letter to Kolligian praised Der Manuelian for having “a sense of history, which eventually evolved to materialize in the inception and creation of the Armenian Museum. The museum will certainly remain as a living memory and testimony to all things that Haig stood for in his lifetime.”He added, “The Tekeyan Cultural Association also owes him deep gratitude as he always offered generously his precious time and expertise to help the organization in its legal issues.”On November 22, 2014, the Armenian Museum held a special dedication event to celebrate the official opening of the newly renovated Adele and Haig Der Manuelian Galleries (formerly known as the Contemporary Gallery) located on the third floor. The splendidly renovated and expanded art galleries provide an intimate yet spacious setting for the numerous art exhibits held throughout the year. This renovation and the reconfigured walls led to a substantial gain in usable space, and the harmonious new look truly shows off the museum’s collection of contemporary art.The funeral service will be on Saturday, December 10, at 10 a.m. at First Armenian Church, 380 Concord Ave., Belmont. Visiting hours at the Aram Bedrosian Funeral Home, 558 Mount Auburn Street, Watertown will be on Friday, December 9, 4 to 8 p.m. (The Armenian Mirror-Spectator)