Mesrop And Mariam Megerdichian Senior Living Opens In Scottsdale, Az

The long-awaited, much anticipated first Armenian senior living residence in Arizona is completed.  “Mesrop and Mariam Megerdichian Senior Living” in Scottsdale will officially be blessed on Thursday, July 21, 2016, by His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church, with Rev. Fr. Zacharia Saribekyan, Parish Priest of St. Apkar, where the building is located.
 
Mesrop and Mariam Megerdichian Senior Living is located directly behind the Armenian Church Cultural Center on the grounds of St. Apkar Armenian Church, 8849 E. Cholla Street, Scottsdale.  Land for the project was part of the original parcel donated by the Hovsepian sisters, after whose father the sanctuary is named. 
 
Funding for the senior residence began with the memorial contributions for Hamazasp Manoogian, brother of His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem of Blessed Memory.  His sons Deacon Berj and Ivan Manoogian donated the funds as seed money for the Armenian senior living facility their father had dreamed of but didn’t live to see.  Other contributions followed and the project began to seem possible “someday.” But there would be a long wait at the rate the otherwise enthusiastic public was supporting the project.
 
Then Ojik Megerdichian, herself grappling with a critical diagnosis, came forward to Rev. Fr. Saribekyan and made a bequest of $250,000.  Her sister Lilly matched that donation.  Their gifts finally made the building of the senior living residence possible.  Honoring the sisters’ wishes, the facility is named in honor of their parents, Mesrop and Mariam Megerdichian.
 
Accessibility to the center was created through the generous donation of Dr. Harry Demirgian in memory of his parents Gregory and Marie Demirgian.  The roadway to the residence is now named “Demirgian Street.”  
 
Mesrop and Mariam Megerdichian Senior Living features 10 suites, each with its own bath and patio. Residents will gather communally for breakfast and dinner; they will have kitchen privileges for lunch and snacks.  There is a library and media room, a living/meeting room, a large kitchen and a laundry.  Residents can easily access both St. Apkar Church and the Armenian Church Cultural Center to maintain their ties to the church and community.  Such was Hamazasp Manoogian’s dream: to have a place where Armenians could spend their golden years together, hear their own language, eat their own cuisine, have Armenian Apostolic church services and as much as possible, feel at home.
 
Dedicated parishioners from St. Apkar formed the committee that organized the building project and all its aspects: secured the Building Permit, oversaw the construction of the facility, fundraised and planned for the daily operations. The Building Committee was chaired by Dn. Berj Manoogian.  Jim Buzzard was the Chair of the Sub-Committee for Fundraising and Operations.  Rafi Hagopian, Parish Council Chair, and Rev. Fr. Zacharia Saribekyan worked hard on several aspects of the project.  The main committee included Vrej Kheshvadjian, Fred Hovsepian, Hagop Naldjian, Ayda Mansourian, Diane Sahakian, Mary Sayadian and Onnie Shekerjian.  Charles Takoushian and Gini Topalian were honorary members.