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Armenia's President Sends Letter Of Condolences On Gerard Cafesjian'

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  • Armenia's President Sends Letter Of Condolences On Gerard Cafesjian'

    ARMENIA'S PRESIDENT SENDS LETTER OF CONDOLENCES ON GERARD CAFESJIAN'S DEATH

    http://armenpress.am/eng/news/733262/armenias-president-sends-letter-of-condolences-on-gerard-cafesjians-death.html
    17:16, 17 September, 2013

    YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The President of the Republic of
    Armenia Serzh Sargsyan sent a letter of condolences to the Cafesjian
    family on the death of national philanthropist Gerard Cafesjian. The
    Media and Public Relations Department of the President's Office
    informed "Armenpress" that the aforesaid letter particularly runs
    as follows:

    "Mr. Cafesjian significantly contributed in the strengthening of the
    Armenia-Diaspora ties years along. His activity was a good example for
    all those people, who desired to provide a palpable support to Mother
    Armenia. I highly appreciate his patriotic enterprises. His abilities
    of an experienced organizer and gracious and unselfish benefactor have
    found their brilliant expression in the transformation of Yerevan's
    Cascade and establishment of the Cafesjian Centre for the Arts,
    which became one of the favorite and popular places in Yerevan.

    At this moment of grave loss I offer deepest condolences to Gerard
    Cafesjian's relatives and friends."

    American-Armenian businessman and philanthropist Gerard Cafesjian
    died at the age of 88 on September 15. The Cafesjian Centre of the
    Arts informed "Armenpress" about this. The cause of death has not
    been announced yet.

    Gerard Cafesjian was born April 26, 1925 in the Bensonhurst
    neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. His parents had come to the United
    States preceding the Armenian Genocide by the Turks in 1915.

    After amphibious training, he served in the United States Navy in WWII
    aboard JP Morgan's yacht, the Corsair III, built in 1895 and renamed
    the USS Oceanographer. The ship did extensive survey work in and
    around Guadalcanal and other Solomon Islands. He also served aboard
    the USS Andres (DE45), a destroyer escort for convoys from the United
    States to North Africa. When he returned after the war he married
    Cleo Thomas, a nurse he met during the war. He earned a degree in
    economics from Hunter College, and a doctorate of jurisprudence from
    St. Johns University Law School, both in five and a half years. He
    is a member of the New York Bar Association.

    He began his career with West Publishing as a legal editor in New York
    City. He was the first employee in the history of the 100-year-old
    company to be transferred from any subsidiary company into the home
    office in St. Paul, Minnesota. At West Publishing he rose through the
    ranks to the position of executive vice president; overseeing sales,
    marketing, customer service, public relations, all Westlaw office
    training and development. At West, he also conceived of and started
    the West Legal Directory and a well-known program, "Art and the Law",
    which earned he and West numerous awards.

    Mr. Cafesjian retired from West Publishing when it was sold to Thompson
    Publishing in 1996. He felt his destiny was to help the country of
    Armenia, which had gained its independence after hundreds of years
    of subjugation under various rulers. The time and circumstances
    and confluence of resources would help him make a difference for
    the country.

    After attending to his family needs, Mr. Cafesjian established
    the Cafesjian Family Foundation. Through that Foundation he
    devoted millions of dollars to Armenia on relief projects including
    renewable energy, headed a TV station, ran a newspaper, contributed
    to the clearing of land mines by specially trained dogs, founded a
    bank, insurance company, and supplied the resources for many other
    projects. If any of the projects were to prove successful, the profits
    were to remain in Armenia for further development.

    He received accolades and recognition from both the United States
    and Armenia institutions, including the Ellis Island Award in 2000.

    Mr. Cafesjian completely renovated the Cascade site in downtown
    Yerevan, Armenia. The Cascade was a huge old crumbling Soviet structure
    of epic proportions. He opened the Cafesjian Center for the Arts at
    the Cascade in 2009. Over one million people have visited the Center
    annually since its opening. His goal was to bring some joy into the
    lives of the Armenians through exposure to art. The Museum enjoys a
    world-class sculpture garden with works by Botero, Flanagan, Chadwick,
    Plensa and Lalanne, to name a few. Admission to the sculpture garden
    is free and it is now the most prominent meeting place in Armenia.

    Mr. Cafesjian also assembled a group of properties in Washington,
    D.C., two blocks from the White House. The intention was the building
    of an Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial, but due to continuing
    litigation, the project remained unrealized and still in limbo awaiting
    the outcome for still another time killing appeal. Mr. Cafesjian won
    the basic lawsuit and was awarded the property to do with as he wished.

    The community was hoping the museum will be built by April 2015 in
    time to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the 1915 Genocide.

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