Sirarpi Khoyan
Sirarpi Khoyan
Genocide era survivor, who spared no effort to participate in Congressional Armenian Genocide commemorations on an annual basis, passed away at the age 106. Her life long fight for justice will continue to inspire us all.
Obituary
On Thursday, August 25, 2011, Sirarpi Khoyan, of Chevy Chase, MD, passed away at 106 years old. She was the wife of the late Arch Priest Dickran Khoyan, mother of Thelma Khoyan, Seda Khoyan Gelenian and Linda/Vahan Khoyan, Sr., Grandmother to Knar/Armen Mardirossian, Gigi, Varak/Regla and Siran Gelenian, Vahan, Jr, Christopher and Ryan/Leah Khoyan, and eight great grandchildren. Other family members include the Pakradooni, Karakas, Isbeceryan and Kuzukoglu families.
Sirarpi Isbetcherian Khoyan was born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1904. She graduated from the American College Prep School in Istanbul. She came to the United States with her parents in 1920 to visit her sister and brother-in-law, Nouvart and Haig Pakradooni. She attended Columbia University Teacher's College, transferred to the University of Pennsylvania and was one of the first women to be admitted to the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. She was offered a math scholarship to Wellesley College and Maestro Stokowski invited her to tour with the Philadelphia Symphony as a piano accompanist. After her first husband died, she worked for Wanamakers in Philadelphia and was asked to contribute to a Cancer Research Project for the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. After she married Dickran Khoyan in 1932, she was a ghost writer for the Hearst Publishing Company while living in Miami. She worked at Lord and Taylor in Chevy Chase for 31 years as a Department Manager when her husband was transferred to the Washington area. She was never afraid to get involved in things that seemed impossible to others. She felt that she could and did accomplish whatever goals that she set for herself.
Genocide era survivor, who spared no effort to participate in Congressional Armenian Genocide commemorations on an annual basis, passed away at the age 106. Her life long fight for justice will continue to inspire us all.
Obituary
On Thursday, August 25, 2011, Sirarpi Khoyan, of Chevy Chase, MD, passed away at 106 years old. She was the wife of the late Arch Priest Dickran Khoyan, mother of Thelma Khoyan, Seda Khoyan Gelenian and Linda/Vahan Khoyan, Sr., Grandmother to Knar/Armen Mardirossian, Gigi, Varak/Regla and Siran Gelenian, Vahan, Jr, Christopher and Ryan/Leah Khoyan, and eight great grandchildren. Other family members include the Pakradooni, Karakas, Isbeceryan and Kuzukoglu families.
Sirarpi Isbetcherian Khoyan was born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1904. She graduated from the American College Prep School in Istanbul. She came to the United States with her parents in 1920 to visit her sister and brother-in-law, Nouvart and Haig Pakradooni. She attended Columbia University Teacher's College, transferred to the University of Pennsylvania and was one of the first women to be admitted to the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. She was offered a math scholarship to Wellesley College and Maestro Stokowski invited her to tour with the Philadelphia Symphony as a piano accompanist. After her first husband died, she worked for Wanamakers in Philadelphia and was asked to contribute to a Cancer Research Project for the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. After she married Dickran Khoyan in 1932, she was a ghost writer for the Hearst Publishing Company while living in Miami. She worked at Lord and Taylor in Chevy Chase for 31 years as a Department Manager when her husband was transferred to the Washington area. She was never afraid to get involved in things that seemed impossible to others. She felt that she could and did accomplish whatever goals that she set for herself.