Lest We Forget: Unger SAKO SARKISSIAN (1945-1984)

Garo Hovhannesian

Abridged and Translated by Vahe H. Apelian

For a generation who came of age in 1965, during the 50^th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in Lebanon and the decade beyond, a decade that marked an unprecedented post genocide Armenian youth activism, Sako Sarkissian remains an unforgettable towering figure. The attached article is an abridged translation of  Garo Hovhannesian’s (Կարօ Յովհաննէսեան)  article posted in  “Aztag Daily” of Beirut on December 16, 2019 and was titled Unger Sako Sarkissian (Ընկ. Սաւգօ Սարգիսեան) (1945-1984)

" My first “meeting” with Unger Sako Sarkissian happened in January 1960 at the funeral of his father. I was not yet in my teens and attended the Yepremian School that later was renamed Kevork Chatalbashian. I was also an altar boy in the Sourp Hagop church. During those years it was rather customary to have a candelabra held next  the deceased person’s head both in the church and in the home. On that particular day, I do not recall what day it was, Mr. Hagop, the church’s sacristan, entered our classroom and singled me out to carry the candelabra during a funeral that was to take place that day. I gathered my books and headed home barely 200 feet from the school and hurried to the church to fulfill the duty Mr. Hagop had assigned for me.

Unger Sako’s home was further away. Women dressed in black were wailing in front of Unger Seragan’s dead body. Unger Sako was seated at the far end of a bed, holding his head and looking towards the floor. I will never ever forget  his deceased father’s face. I remember it as if it was today. I do not remember for how long I held the candelabra standing still like a statue. Every now and then I would lower my gaze and look at the deceased person’s face, which was white, with little hair with a large nose. O՜ that face, that scene is carved onto my mind.

What pedagogical principle allowed that practice in those days? At the end of the service, the sound of the wailing women in the church when they opened the oak colored casket and as some approached and kissed the deceased person’s face, still rings in my ears. It did not end there. Along with a large crowd, they took me to the national cemetery, and I saw the lowering of the casket in the grave. A lad I was, and those unfolding scenes remained etched in my memory to this very day. But our “pedagogue”  sacristan Mr. Minas never found out that my days as a church altar boy henceforth became a nightmare and a psychological torment, especially during the nights when the face of Unger Seragan appeared on my mind’s screen. Those moving pictures in my mind have not changed a bit.

Two decades later Sako and I became colleagues. One of our unofficial offices was their residence where we conducted our work and our meetings. In 1982 when I entered the house, I shivered all over my body. The whole thing started screening in my mind, and I viewed the funeral and especially his father’s face. What horrible scenes were those, whose stage director was  Mr. Minas, “the pedagogue”, and I was the only audience to his stage.

My father knew Unger Seragan and attested that he enjoyed the esteem of the community. He was an A.R.F. idealist, a devoted, and a faithful member of the party. He had no particular schooling, but he had good manners and had established good rapport with people.  He was a pleasant conversationalist but was not complaisant. He was an honest and a forthright person who called “a spade a spade” as the saying goes. He could not stand deceit. He was a doting father and a generous host. Unger Sako had inherited these personality traits from his father. He even had inherited the cause of his father’s sudden death, heart attack.

* * *

Unger Sako Sarkissian was born in Beirut on February 20, 1945 to his parents' delight. Three sisters had preceded him and a brother followed him. His parent’s hailed from Darson. He received his elementary education is Sourp Nshan school and his secondary education in Hamazkayin’s Nshan Palanjian Jemaran from which he graduated in 1965. He continued his college education in Beirut in the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (Academie Libanaise des Beaux Arts) and graduated in 1974 as an architect.

In his youth he took part in Beirut Homenetmen’s third scouting group becoming a scout leader. 

He became a member of the ARF Zavarian Student association in 1965 and in 1967 joined the ranks of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. He assumed directorial administrative responsibilities in the Zavarian Student Association,

In 1972 he married his fellow Zavarian Student Association member Zvart Surmelian (Note: Zvart is the niece of Leon Surmelian, the author of best seller “I Ask You Ladies and Gentlemen”). They are blessed with two children  Taline and Razmig.

After Zavarian Student Association he joined the local “Dikran Zamhour” Gomideh where he was elected to its administrative committee. 

In 1979 he was elected to the A.R.F.  Central Committee of Lebanon.

He took part in the 21^st A.R.F World Council Meeting (December 1977-January 1978) and in the 22^nd (December 1981) and was elected a member of the A.R.F. Bureau and was tasked with the responsibility of running the A.R.F. youth affairs.

Unger Sako died in Los Angeles on November 22, 1984  the funeral and interment services were held on November 27 and 28 in Glendale in St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church. A large procession followed the gasket to the cemetery. The following took part in the eulogy: Archbishop Yeprem Tabakian, Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, Unger Razmig Madenlian and Unger Vahe Yakoubian. As a tribute to him, the Armenian schools flew the tricolor half-mast for the next three days.

As an architect his main work became the Hamazkayin Cultural Association’s large center. Only the “Melanton and Haig Arslanian” Jemaran building of the center is complete. During the early part of 1980’s, he was also the chief architect of the building under the jurisdiction of the National  Council.

* * *

Unger Sako rendered a brief but an impactful service that left its mark. Even as a student, his classmates recall that it was he to whom they looked up to sort out issues that came along. As an adolescent he was made Homenentmen scout leader. 

His ascension within the ranks of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation was on a fast track for his age. For a few years he chaired the A.R.F. Zavarian Student Association. Not long after he was elected to the A.R.F. Lebanon Central Committee and almost right after he was elected as a member of the A.R.F. Bureau.

Ung. Sako Sarkissian on the far right. He was the youngest A.R.F. Bureau member

As a member of the A.R.F. Bureau Unger Sako collaborated with the other members a generation older than him, such Ungers Sarkis Zeitlian, Hrach Dansabedian, Hrayr Maroukhian, Razmig Madenlian, Yervant Pamboukian and other others. He was 36 years old when he was elected as a member of the Bureau and was the youngest.

* * *

All along the leadership roles he assumed, he  exhibited an uncanny ability to organize and lead, traits he had exhibited as a youngster. He was bestowed with innate qualities for leadership. It could be said that he was a born leader. However, he made room for consultation to analyze. 

Whether a leader or not, during his entire life he toiled selflessly, with a firm conviction, and with utmost devotion and completely fulfilled the tasks assigned to  him.

During the  early years of the civil war in Lebanon (1975-1990), Unger Sako paid his moral dues with arms in his hand defending the Armenian neighborhoods. Later on, as a member of the Central Committee, he exhibited a decisive and a bold stand against  provocations and intrigues to safeguard the Armenian community. He remained steadfast and on guard throughout the Lebanese civil war.

As a member of the A.R.F. bureau and in charge of the youth affairs, he not only carried a monumental organizational task  but also refreshed the youth organizations and gave the youth a new drive. Through հis efforts  the periodical “Gayzer” (Sparks) was established. He initiated and organized he A.R.F. world-wide youth associations meeting . The first took place in Greece in 1983 and the second in 1984 in France. 

Along with his spirit of initiative, Unger Sako was also a visionary, especially when it came to  upcoming youth. He regarded their education of vital importance. In fact, educating the upcoming ARF generation became his life’s mission. He believed in the important and constructive role the young generation is destined to play invigorating the party and keeping it abreast with the  time. That is why he focused on transmitting the history, the ideology, the structure to the succeeding generations of  A.R.F.ers. In short passing to them the legacy of the A.R.F. 

He was well aware of the challenge he was facing in coordinating the education of the young given their diverse backgrounds culturally, linguistically and politically. He emphasized on transmitting the commonality of A.R.F. cause, well beyond the local dictates. That is why he viewed camping and assembly vital for educating of the young upcoming.  He directed the offices of the A.R.F. Bureau youth affairs in organizing camping and general assembly for the A.R.F. youth across the Diaspora offering them a free dialogue on the diverse agenda from party ideology and organization to Hay Tahd and to the various issues the Armenian Diaspora faced. He encouraged activism and invited them to be active as he did in the conclusion of the first A.R.F. youth meeting on August 30, 1983.

Unger Sako himself was an activist, an uncompromising ideologue and in fact, a revolutionary.  He truly reflected what he believed in and advocated. He thus left an indelible impression on the A.Y.F youth.

* * *

I worked with Unger Sako for three and half years running the A.R.F. Bureau youth affairs. I witnessed  how totally engrossed he was in carrying the different tasks. He was meticulous in planning lest an unexpected situation arose that adversely affected the project.

He was extremely demanding from those around him and especially from himself. I remember the countless times I met him in his house, or in his architectural office in writing a circular or in organizing the project at hand. He was extremely meticulous. There was no detail he would let us skip. I would meet him over and over again to finalize the wording of the editorial for the youth periodical “Gaydzer”. In popular parlance he would literally “drive me nuts” just to have the editorial worthy for publication.

I will have to admit that at times he raised  his voice on us and reprimanded us. But we knew that it was not because he wanted to impose himself upon us but that it was his inner drive for perfection that compelled him to do so. After accomplishing the task to his satisfaction, he reverted to his jovial self. There was warmth and goodness in his smile. 

* * *

Unger Sako was a modest person.  He did not herald his accomplishments in any way. In fact, he shied  away from accolades or praise. The accomplishment of the tasks at his hands were the rewards he aspired. I would like to note a year after his untimely death, the 23^rd A.R.F. world council noted the with praise the many accomplishments of the youth affairs bureau  that had brought a fresh air to the A.R.F. youth organizations. 

* * *

He made the Armenian Cause (Hay Tahd) his cause and devoted to it whole heartedly at the expense of his architectural office. He lived for A.R.F. and resisted those who belittled it and would get deeply angry against them. 

Unger Sako had suffered from heart condition, but he did not take sufficient care of his health. He experienced his first attack eight years before his death. He remained recuperating from it for a long time and then he continued his relentless drive like before. After a few years he experienced his second heart attack. His friends advised him to slow down and not carry so many organizational responsibilities. He remained adamant and did not heed to their advice and did not slow down a bit and continued to attend to his organizational tasks with the same zeal and remained steadfast to his inner calling. He was decisive, uncompromising, and whole heartedly devoted to the A.R.F.  and a vivid example to the rest of us. A few days before his death he had told his wife: “If I were to be born again, I would do the same things, with same zeal knowing full well that I will end up in this situation. I have no regrets that I charted my course in life this way.”

* * *

He was very vocal if not brutal against those whose actions and deeds he found unbecoming for a member of the A.R.F. and were contrary to the traditionally held values of his beloved party.  In such situations his whole demeanor would change, and he would chastise them in a harsh way. That is why some of the members of the rank file distanced themselves from him if not turned against him. He was uncompromising and uncorrupt. No one can possibly deny his characteristic traits; not even those who did not like him and distanced themselves from him. 

* * *

Unger Sako did not advocate literally pursuits. I do not remember an article or a writing from him. He was an ideologue, with deep seated convictions who was more a doer and an organizer. He did not appreciate mediocrity especially those whose intellectual pursuits were not daring and bold in their ideology.

He also was not an orator. That does not mean to say that he shied away from public speaking. I heard him speak during the  opening and the conclusion of the two pan Diaspora youth get together he organized. His talk was widely received. He had a pleasant voice; his delivery was captivating and the messages he conveyed resonated well.

* * *

At the beginning of November 1984, he felt very tired. We recommended him to rest and to take a vacation to regain his strength and then return to his routine. He said: “ my life is not different than those young men who consciously devote their lives in pursuit of the resolution  of our just cause.”  He was exhausted when he undertook visiting the United States to oversee organizational matters. But he promised that after his return he would take a week-long vacation.

He departed but regretfully he remained there, in his eternal rest.

* * *

Unger Sako died on November 22, 1984 carrying the tasks his beloved organization, A.R.F. had entrusted him. He was not 40 years old yet. The A.R.F. and especially the members of its youth organizations mourned his death. With his death the A.R.F. lost a devoted member.

He would have been 74 years old and would have continued to take part in the party organizational matters with the same zeal and would have continued to contribute to A.R.F. both in Armenia and in the Diaspora.

Thirty-five years ago, we lost a promising leader who had already established himself as an equal collaborator with those who were a generation senior to him. When the news of his untimely death reached us in Beirut, A.R.F. bureau member Unger Sarkis Zeilian happened to be in the “Ara Yerevanian” community center. He excused himself from the rest and stood on the balcony of the Bureau’s office in silence for hours smoking a cigarette after another. What were the thoughts crossing his mind, I wonder…? 

40^th day requiem services were held in Los Angeles, Aleppo, Beirut. From there on it’s a deafening silence that prevails. The newer generation in Armenia and in Diaspora do not know him. It could very well be that they have not even heard his name. During these past 35 years many events were organized in remembrance of departed ungers. Unger Sako remained forgotten.

These words are in tribute to his memory. "

Courtesy Haierenik Weekly, December 9, 2023