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.