Derevatap (Տերեւաթափ), is an Armenian word that literally means falling of leaves, and is often used to refer to those of social prominence who passed away. But there is no single everyday English word like "snowing" or "raining", for falling leaves. For many years Garo Kevorkian published “Everyone’s Yearbook” (Ամէնուն Տարեգիրքը) – 1954-1968 -, reflecting on the passing year. He had section devoted to Derevatap, recalling Armenians of social prominence who passed away that year. Levon Sharoyan appears to have filled the void and has reflected on the prominent Armenians who passed away this year in the month of October. I have attached my aided translation of the second part of his article which was posted in Ararat Daily on November 7, 2026 (("Արարատ" օրաթերթ, 7 Նոյ. 2026). Vaհe H Apelian
OSHeeN KESHISHIAN (ՀԱՅԿՈՒՀԻ ՓՈՐԹՈՒԳԱԼԵԱՆ), with the passing of Osheen Keshishian (October 19), a notable chapter in the history of the Armenian-American press has come to a close. For 50 years, he published and edited his own English-language Armenian weekly, The Armenian Observer, in Los Angeles, while also contributing regularly to the Armenian-language press. He hailed from Jerusalem, where he was born in 1934 to parents originally from Marash. He attended the St. Tarkmanchats School. In the late 1940s—a period marked by intense Arab-Israeli conflict—he, like many others, left his birthplace with his family; after spending some time in Jordan, he eventually moved to Beirut. He attended the school of the Viennese Mekhitarists and, in 1955, graduated from the AGBU Hovakimian-Manougian Boys’ Secondary School. The following year, he immigrated to the United States. He pursued his university studies in California, focusing on anthropology and American studies.
For a brief period (1968–69), he was entrusted with the editorship of the tri-weekly newspaper Nor Or.
A turning point arrived in December 1970, when he founded The Armenian Observer. He steered the publication with great competence, transforming it into a mirror of the lives of Armenian-Americans and the broader Diaspora, as well as a platform for English-language writers. (The newspaper continued publication until February 2023.) He was an accomplished journalist who dedicated a significant portion of his adult life to the written word—through editorials, analyses, and interviews—thereby fulfilling a mission to help shape public opinion. For approximately 25 years, he served as a lecturer at Glendale Community College, and for many years, he also collaborated with the Tekeyan Cultural Association. His sister, Ankine Keshishian-Muradian (1924–2009), was a well-known musicologist and soloist, while his brother, Onnik, was a long-time lecturer in political science and an educator (having served as principal of the Mesrobian and Alex Pilibos National Schools). The funeral service took place on November 2 at St. Ghevontiants Cathedral in Burbank.
HAYKOUHI PORTOUGALIAN (ՀԱՅԿՈՒՀԻ ՓՈՐԹՈՒԳԱԼԵԱՆ) —She was a prominent, active, and long-standing figure within the Armenian community of Thessaloniki (Greece). She passed away on October 6. For many years, she served as the chairwoman of the local branch of the AGBU (Armenian General Benevolent Union). Her father, a native of Constantinople, had settled in Thessaloniki after leaving Turkey in 1922, where he played a significant role in the local Armenian community life. Haykouhi followed in her father’s footsteps, dedicating herself wholeheartedly to service, most notably within the AGBU. According to a reliable source, she established a charitable and educational institution known as the Portougalian Foundation, which she bequeathed to the Municipality of Thessaloniki. Among the Greek-Armenian press, only the publication Nor Ashkharh ("New World") reported on Portougalian’s passing. In the October 12 issue of the newspaper, an obituary was published by the Ararat Cultural and Sports Union, which particularly highlights the services the deceased rendered to the many Eastern Armenian families who had migrated from Armenia and settled in Thessaloniki.
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| Courtesy Levon Sharoyan |
SIRUN YERETSIAN (ՍԻՐՈՒՆ ԵՐԷՑԵԱՆ), (née Vasilian), was a highly accomplished painter, gifted miniaturist, and decorative artist. She passed away in Los Angeles during the second half of October, following a long and painful illness. She was born in Beirut in 1951. She received her education at the Vahan Tekeyan School and the AGBU’s Tarouhi Hagopian Secondary School for Girls. Like so many others, she emigrated to California in 1976 due to the Lebanese Civil War. There, her husband, Harout Yeretsian—together with his brother, Noubar—would go on to establish and operate the renowned April bookstore in Los Angeles (as well as a magazine of the same name, launched in 1977). Sirun had specialized in painting and fashion design through formal art courses; yet, her artistic approach was unique. Much like our ancient manuscript illuminators, she gravitated toward trchnagir (zoomorphic/bird-shaped) lettering—peacocks, in particular—as well as intricate ornamentation. She excelled in crafting beautiful, distinctly Armenian works composed from the letters of the alphabet, into which she also wove her own original, free-spirited concepts. One could say that the centuries-old traditions of Armenian art and the spirit of contemporary expression were masterfully blended within Sirun’s creations.
She was a prolific artist, consistently captivating those who beheld her work. In the Glendale area, she even opened her own gallery, Roslin (1998), where she dedicated a corner to her modest "scriptorium." Following in the footsteps of medieval illuminators, she practiced the art of miniature painting, decorating canvases not only with the Armenian alphabet but also with scripts from other languages (Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Georgian, Cyrillic, etc.). However, an incurable and rare illness gradually left her paralyzed over the last 10 to 12 years, stripping her of the ability to speak or even hold a paintbrush. She was eventually forced to rely on a wheelchair. Today, her magnificent works can be found scattered across the internet. However, she had also published her works in several albums, among which the illustrated volume Beautiful Letters (250 pages, 2014) will remain a monument to his memory.
ŞAHAN ARZRUNI ((ՇԱՀԱՆ ԱՐԾՐՈՒՆԻ), was a renowned pianist of Istanbul origin living in America, he passed away on October 21 at the age of 83, in the solitude of his apartment in the Manhattan borough of New York. He was born in 1943 in Istanbul, where he attended the Esayan and Getronagan schools. He graduated from the Istanbul Municipal Conservatory. It was often noted that his aunt—the composer and songwriter Sirvart Karamanuk—played a pivotal role in the musical development of young Shahan; when he was just four years old, she provided him with private instruction, guiding him toward the piano and the world of music.
At the age of twenty-one, Shahan left Constantinople and settled in America, where, thanks to a scholarship provided by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, he studied at the world-renowned Juilliard School in New York. From then on, he would dedicate his entire life to music—both within America and abroad—performing in concerts, recitals, and television programs, and earning acclaim on prestigious stages. During this period, he crossed paths with a New York-based Danish-Jewish musician named Victor Borge; the two would go on to collaborate closely and productively for 18 years, traveling together to 48 countries Throughout his career, he consistently endeavored to bring Armenian music to stages across the globe. In this regard, he continuously studied Armenian music, researched the works of Armenian composers (in recent years, specifically female Armenian composers), and engaged in recording and interpreting this music. He released various audio recordings, including CDs and musical albums. He was not merely a pianist; he was also a musicologist, a cultural figure, and a dedicated contributor to the written word. He visited Armenia countless times—most recently this past May—where he frequently organized charity concerts under the auspices of the Armenian Relief Fund (ARF). He would even travel to remote regions to connect with students and teachers at local music schools, providing them with training and guidance.
