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IN MEMORIAM: GERARD L. CAFESJIAN
http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2013-09-18-in-memoriam-gerard-l--cafesjian
Published: Wednesday September 18, 2013
Gerard Cafesjian. Photo courtesy of Cafesjian family
MINNEAPOLIS - Gerard Leon Cafesjian was a remarkable man. Born in
Brooklyn, New York on April 26, 1925 to Armenian immigrant parents,
Gerard fought in a war, made a fortune, saved a carousel and founded
a magnificent Center for the Arts in his ancestral home, Armenia.
After graduating from New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn, New York
(later the setting for the TV show "Welcome Back Kotter"), Gerard
joined the U.S. Navy and fought bravely in the South Pacific During
World War II. He met Cleo Thomas in 1946 In New York City; they were
both in uniform - he in his sailor blues, she in her nursing whites.
They married on July 4, 1947.
Gerard attended Hunter College and later St. Johns Law School,
courtesy of the G.I. Bill. After practicing law in New York City for
several years, Gerard joined the editorial staff of legal publishing
company Edward J. Thompson. In 1960 Gerard and his family moved to
St Paul Minnesota where he began his long and distinguished career
at West Publishing Company. As Sr. Vice President of Marketing,
Advertising and West Law, he helped usher in the age of computerized
legal research. As one of the owners of the privately held company,
he amassed a fortune upon its sale to Thompson Corp. in 1996.
In 1988 he donated one million dollars to prevent the dismantling and
sale of the historic State Fair Carousel which now bears his name. In
2000, he donated an additional sum to construct the building in Como
Park where it is now housed and enjoyed by thousands each year.
As a passionate and life long art collector, one of Gerard's greatest
achievements was to create the Cafesjian Center for the Arts in
Yerevan, Armenia. Housed in a unique, ziggurat-style structure called
the Cascade, the Center is a hub for both visual and performing arts
and contains works by world renowned artists such as Dale Chihuly,
Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslava Brychtova, Pablo Picasso, Arshile
Gorky, Jaume Plensa and others. The Center also boasts a sculpture
garden containing works by artists such as Fernando Botero, Lynn
Chadwick, Barry Flanagan and others.
A fighter all his life, Gerard was finally dealt a blow from which he
could not recover when his beloved wife of 66 years passed away in
March of this year. Cleo Cafesjian was as vital to him as the beat
of his own heart and without her, broken hearted; he departed this
world on September 15, 2013.
Gerard was pre-deceased by his parents, Nora Tashjian and Levon
Cafesjian, by his son Gerard Cafesjian Jr. and by his beloved wife,
Cleo Thomas Cafesjian. He is survived by his sister Mary Dobbs,
his daughter Kathleen Baradaran (Jaff Baradaran), his son Thomas
Cafesjian, his Granddaughter Carrie Martinson (Ben Jones) and his
three Great-Grandsons, Sam, Eli and Jack.
No Memorial or funeral service has been scheduled. In lieu of flowers,
contributions can be made to Cafesjian Museum Foundation, Inc. 15
South 5th Street Suite 900 Minneapolis MN 55402.
From: Baghdasarian
http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2013-09-18-in-memoriam-gerard-l--cafesjian
Published: Wednesday September 18, 2013
Gerard Cafesjian. Photo courtesy of Cafesjian family
MINNEAPOLIS - Gerard Leon Cafesjian was a remarkable man. Born in
Brooklyn, New York on April 26, 1925 to Armenian immigrant parents,
Gerard fought in a war, made a fortune, saved a carousel and founded
a magnificent Center for the Arts in his ancestral home, Armenia.
After graduating from New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn, New York
(later the setting for the TV show "Welcome Back Kotter"), Gerard
joined the U.S. Navy and fought bravely in the South Pacific During
World War II. He met Cleo Thomas in 1946 In New York City; they were
both in uniform - he in his sailor blues, she in her nursing whites.
They married on July 4, 1947.
Gerard attended Hunter College and later St. Johns Law School,
courtesy of the G.I. Bill. After practicing law in New York City for
several years, Gerard joined the editorial staff of legal publishing
company Edward J. Thompson. In 1960 Gerard and his family moved to
St Paul Minnesota where he began his long and distinguished career
at West Publishing Company. As Sr. Vice President of Marketing,
Advertising and West Law, he helped usher in the age of computerized
legal research. As one of the owners of the privately held company,
he amassed a fortune upon its sale to Thompson Corp. in 1996.
In 1988 he donated one million dollars to prevent the dismantling and
sale of the historic State Fair Carousel which now bears his name. In
2000, he donated an additional sum to construct the building in Como
Park where it is now housed and enjoyed by thousands each year.
As a passionate and life long art collector, one of Gerard's greatest
achievements was to create the Cafesjian Center for the Arts in
Yerevan, Armenia. Housed in a unique, ziggurat-style structure called
the Cascade, the Center is a hub for both visual and performing arts
and contains works by world renowned artists such as Dale Chihuly,
Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslava Brychtova, Pablo Picasso, Arshile
Gorky, Jaume Plensa and others. The Center also boasts a sculpture
garden containing works by artists such as Fernando Botero, Lynn
Chadwick, Barry Flanagan and others.
A fighter all his life, Gerard was finally dealt a blow from which he
could not recover when his beloved wife of 66 years passed away in
March of this year. Cleo Cafesjian was as vital to him as the beat
of his own heart and without her, broken hearted; he departed this
world on September 15, 2013.
Gerard was pre-deceased by his parents, Nora Tashjian and Levon
Cafesjian, by his son Gerard Cafesjian Jr. and by his beloved wife,
Cleo Thomas Cafesjian. He is survived by his sister Mary Dobbs,
his daughter Kathleen Baradaran (Jaff Baradaran), his son Thomas
Cafesjian, his Granddaughter Carrie Martinson (Ben Jones) and his
three Great-Grandsons, Sam, Eli and Jack.
No Memorial or funeral service has been scheduled. In lieu of flowers,
contributions can be made to Cafesjian Museum Foundation, Inc. 15
South 5th Street Suite 900 Minneapolis MN 55402.
From: Baghdasarian