The Diocese
Posted: 04/22/2016
It is with a heavy heart that we inform the passing of Dr. Richard L. Kasper, a Godfather of St. Leon Armenian Cathedral. In his letter of condolence addressed to the Kasper family the Diocesan Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian wrote in part “Dicran Kasparian was an individual whom we loved and respected immensely. He truly lived the Christian Faith and above had inspired us all with his kind deeds. Words cannot possibly make justice to honor him.”
Dr. Richard Kasper – A Biography
Dr. Richard L Kasper passed away on March 29, 2016, at the age of 96. Dr. Kasper lived a long and fulfilled life dedicated to his Christian faith, his family, his medical profession and to his Armenian heritage.
He was born Dicran Kasparian in Fresno, CA in 1919 to immigrant parents who had recently arrived from Armenia. Dicran’s father became a tailor and while growing up Dicran worked with his father in the business. His family was deeply involved in the Armenian community and the Holy Trinity Armenian Church in Fresno.
He excelled in science and first enrolled in Fresno State for two years before transferring to University of California Berkeley School of Optometry. WWII was just beginning when he was accepted into medical school at the University of Southern California. He joined the Navy V12 program and was stationed in Long Beach. During his second year of medical school, he met Elizabeth (Betty) Avedisian at the Gethsemane Armenian Church in Los Angeles. Elizabeth had just arrived from Detroit, Michigan. They were married the following year and were married for 65 years until her passing in 2010.
Dr. Kasper continued his medical training at USC where he did his Internship and Residency, during which time he joined the Army Residency Program. Upon completion of his training, the Korean War had begun and Dr. Kasper was sent overseas to Japan. He spent a year stationed at the main Army hospital at Yokohama while his wife remained in Burbank with two small children.
In 1954, Dr. Kasper began his private practice as an ophthalmologist in Burbank, California. He gradually built up a larger practice, later brining in two other ophthalmologists who continued to grow the practice, now known as Berg Feinfeld Vision Correction.
Throughout his career, Dr. Kasper was involved with the Doheny Eye Institute at USC and became a full Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology. He was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year of 1996. He also served as President of the Los Angeles Society of Ophthalmology in Southern California for over 50 years. Dr. Kasper was equally involved in the Christian community. He and his wife lived the last 30 years in Newport Beach, although Dr. Kasper continued to visit his office in Burbank well into his 80s.
In 1986, Dr. Kasper first travelled to Armenia, then a satellite of the Soviet Union, to help bring training and equipment in the field of ophthalmology to the hospital in Yerevan. There he met Dr. Alex Malayan, the head eye surgeon. When he returned to California, he started an organization with Dr. Vartkes Najarian called Medical Outreach of Armenia. Two years later, he was able to bring Dr. Malayan from Yerevan to Calfornia to train beside him. Dr. Malayan spent three months with Dr. Kasper participating in surgeries, attending meetings at Doheny and making important contacts. Dr. Kasper introduced Dr. Malayan to Dr. Roger Ohanesian of the Harvard Eye Institute in Laguna Beach. This led to Dr. Ohanesian also becoming involved in medical outreach in Armenia and ultimately to his founding of the Armenian Eyecare Project, a major medical outreach program providing outstanding medical care to the people of Armenia.
Dr. Kasper was equally involved in the Christian community of Southern California. He was an elder at Hollywood Presbyterian Church, involved with Young Life and Campus Crusade, as well as leading men’s Bible studies at Master’s men in Burbank. When he moved to Newport Beach in 1984, he founded and taught for Sunday School for 18 years at Mariner's Church. He continued to teach well into his 90s both at Mariner’s and at St. Mary Armenian Church in Costa Mesa.
Dr. Kasper was 90 years old when his dear wife Betty passed away. He continued to live in his home in Harbor Ridge and continued his activities at his church, in the medical community and with his family. He continued to teach a small group at the Armenian Church and witness his faith in God and expressed God’s love wherever he went.
Dr. Kasper are survived by their son, Dennis Kasper and his wife Jodi, their two daughters, Ashleigh and Alexandra Kasper; daughter, Marilyn Beck, her husband Jeff, her two children Lori and Matt Davis, Matt's wife Courtney and their two children Luke and Theo. There will be a Memorial Service for Dr. Kasper on April 30, 2016 at Mariner's Church, Irvine in the Chapel at 10:00 am.
