Gerard Cafesjian -=- R I P -=-

[MosJan]

88 տարեկանում վախճանվել է ամերիկահայ բարերար Ջերարդ Գաֆէսճեանը

http://media.pn.am/media/issue/170/061/photo/170061.jpg

http://static.pn.am/images/cmnts.gif17 սեպտեմբերի 2013 - 11:03 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - 88 տարեկան հասակում վախճանվել է հայտնի ամերիկահայ բարերար ՋերարադԳաֆէսճեանը: Նրա մահվան բոթը PanARMENIAN.Net ին հաստատեցին Երևանի Գաֆէսճեանի արվեստների կենտրոնում:

Ջերարդ Լևոն Գաֆէսճյանը ծնվել է 1925 թվականին Բրուքլինում, Երկրորդ Համաշխարհային տարիներին ծառայել է ԱՄՆ ռազմածովային նավատորմում:

Գաֆէսճեանն ավարտել է Նյու Յորքի Hunter College-ը, էկոնոմիկայի բաժինը բակալավրի աստիճանով, հետո ստացել է երկրորդ մասնագիտությունը St. Johns Law Schoo-ում: Նա ունի իրավաբանական գիտությունների դոկտորի կոչում:

Իր կարիերան 1925 թվականին նա սկսել է որպես իրավաբանական խմբագիր աշխարհահռչակ West Publishing հրատարակչատանը: 1960 թվականին նա տեղափոխվել է Միննեսոտա:

Գաֆեսճյանի գիտելիքների և ջանքերի շնորհիվ 44 տարվա ընթացքում West Publishing հրատարակչատունը ամուր դիրքեր նվաճեց շուկայում, աշխատակիցների թիվն աճեց 2000-ից մինչև 6500:

1996 թվականին Գաֆէսճեանը հիմնադրեց «Գաֆէսճեան ընտանիքի հիմնադրամը», որի գործունեությունը հիմնականում ուղղված է հայ ժողովրդի բարեկեցության ապահովմանը: Շուրջ 50 մլն դոլար ներդրվեց Հայաստանի պատմամշակութային արժեքների պահպանման համար:

Ջերարդ Գաֆէսճեանը Վաշինգտոնի Հայոց ցեղասպանության թանգարանի հոգաբարձուների խորհրդի անդամ էր: Նրա հիմնադրամը մեծ նվիրտավություններ է կատարել ի նպաստ թանգարանի և Հայոց ցեղասպանության զոհերի հուշարձանի կառուցման համար:

Գաֆէսճեանը աշխարհի խոշորագույն ընկերությունների մեկի՝ Jamba Juice Company-ի և Իտալիայում ու Հունգարիայում գինեգործական գործարանների սեփականատեր էր, նաև զգալի դիրք էր գրավում Ֆլորիդայի և Միննեսոտայի անշարժ գույքի շուկաներում:

 

[MosJan]

Gerard Cafesjian, philanthropist and Como carousel namesake, dies at 88

By Elizabeth Mohr

emohr@pioneerpress.com

Posted: 09/17/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT | Updated: 65 min. ago

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site569/2013/0917/20130917__130918%20merrygoround_300.jpg

Cafesjian's Carousel is a popular attraction at Como Park. (Pioneer Press: Jean Pieri)

 

Gerard Leon Cafesjian, the benefactor who helped save the famed Como Park carousel, has passed away, according to Armenian news reports.

Cafesjian amassed his wealth as an executive at West Publishing, where he worked from 1952 until 1996. His philanthropic pursuits went well beyond the salvage and restoration of the Cafesjian Carousel, as it's now known. He also founded the Cafesjian Family Foundation, the Cafesjian Museum Foundation and the Cafesjian Center for the Arts.

Cafesjian, 88, formerly of Roseville, had retired and was living in Naples, Fla.

A call to his attorney was not immediately returned. A woman who answered the phone at the Cafesjian Family Foundation said no one there was taking media calls at that time.

Several Armenian news outlets were reporting Cafesjian's death Tuesday. Some said Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan had issued a message of condolence to Cafesjian's family.

Cafesjian was born in 1925 in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Armenian parents who immigrated to the United States in 1915, according to a biography on the Cafesjian Center for the Arts website. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and later earned a degree in economics from Hunter College and a law degree from St. John's University Law School. He began working for West Publishing in New York City and was later transferred to the St. Paul office.

In 1988 Cafesjian led an effort to save a 1914 merry-go-round that had spun at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds for 75 years. He and others contributed more than $2 million to save the 68-horse carousel from being broken apart and auctioned off.

The Cafesjian Carousel, which was named in honor of its major benefactor, was restored and is housed in a special pavilion at St. Paul's Como Park.

Through his philanthropic organizations, Cafesjian sought to bring economic relief and artistic venues to Armenia, and to promote Armenian art and history to the rest of the world.

He was most recently mentioned in local news in August when one of his former employees was indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly embezzling millions of dollars from Cafesjian and his companies.

Elizabeth Mohr can be reached at 651-228-5162. Follow her at twitter.com/LizMohr.

[MosJan]

Prominent Armenian benefactor Gerard Cafesjian dies at 88

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http://static.pn.am/images/cmnts.gifSeptember 17, 2013 - 10:57 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Prominent Armenian benefactor Gerard Cafesjian has died at the age of 88.

The Cafesjian Center for the Arts in Yerevan confirmed the death to PanARMENIAN.Net

Gerard Leon Cafesjian was a businessman and philanthropist who founded the Cafesjian Family Foundation (CFF), the Cafesjian Museum Foundation (CMF) and the Cafesjian Center for the Arts.

Mr. Cafesjian was born April 26, 1925 in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. His parents had come to the United States preceding the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

After amphibious training, he served in the United States Navy in WWII aboard JP Morgan’s yacht, the Corsair III, built in 1895 and renamed the USS Oceanographer. The ship did extensive survey work in and around Guadalcanal and other Solomon Islands. He also served aboard the USS Andres (DE45), a destroyer escort for convoys from the United States to North Africa.

When he returned after the war he married Cleo Thomas, a nurse he met during the war.

He earned a degree in economics from Hunter College, and a doctorate of jurisprudence from St. Johns University Law School, both in five and a half years. He is a member of the New York Bar Association.

He began his career with West Publishing as a legal editor in New York City. He was the first employee in the history of the 100-year-old company to be transferred from any subsidiary company into the home office in St. Paul, Minnesota. At West Publishing he rose through the ranks to the position of executive vice president; overseeing sales, marketing, customer service, public relations, all Westlaw office training and development. At West, he also conceived of and started the West Legal Directory and a well-known program, “Art and the Law”, which earned him and West numerous awards.

Mr. Cafesjian retired from West Publishing when it was sold to Thompson Publishing in 1996.

After attending to his family needs, Mr. Cafesjian established the Cafesjian Family Foundation. Through that Foundation he devoted millions of dollars to Armenia on relief projects including renewable energy, headed a TV station, ran a newspaper, contributed to the clearing of land mines by specially trained dogs, founded a bank, insurance company, and supplied the resources for many other projects. If any of the projects were to prove successful, the profits were to remain in Armenia for further development.

He received accolades and recognition from both the United States and Armenia institutions, including the Ellis Island Award in 2000.

Mr. Cafesjian completely renovated the Cascade site in downtown Yerevan. The Cascade was a huge old crumbling Soviet structure of epic proportions. He opened the Cafesjian Center for the Arts at the Cascade in 2009. The Museum enjoys a world-class sculpture garden with works by Botero, Flanagan, Chadwick, Plensa and Lalanne, to name a few.

[MosJan]

«Ջերարդ Գաֆէսճեանի հիշատակը միշտ վառ կմնա ինչպես նրան անձամբ ճանաչողների, այնպես էլ հայ ժողովրդի սրտում»

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2013/09/29420.jpg14:01, 18 սեպտեմբերի, 2013

Հայտնում ենք մեր խորին ցավակցությունները հայ ժողովրդին և «Գաֆէսճեան թանգարան» հիմնադրամին մեծ բարերար, Հայաստանի Հանրապետության մշակութային զարգացման հարցում անգնահատելի ավանդ ունեցող և մարդկային հրաշալի նկարագրի տեր անհատի` պարոն Ջերարդ Գաֆէսճեանի մահվան կապակցությամբ:

Վստահ ենք, որ պարոն Ջերարդ Գաֆէսճեանի հիշատակը միշտ վառ կմնա ինչպես նրան անձամբ ճանաչողների, այնպես էլ հայ ժողովրդի սրտում:

[Arpa]

http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2013-09-18-in-memoriam-gerard-l--cafesjian

In Memoriam: Gerard L. Cafesjian

Published: Wednesday September 18, 2013 Minneapolis - Gerard Leon Cafesjian was a remarkable man. Born in Brooklyn, New York on April 26, 1925 to Armenian immigrant parents, Gerard fought in a war, made a fortune, saved a carousel and founded a magnificent Center for the Arts in his ancestral home, Armenia. After graduating from New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn, New York (later the setting for the TV show "Welcome Back Kotter"), Gerard joined the U.S. Navy and fought bravely in the South Pacific During World War II. He met Cleo Thomas in 1946 In New York City; they were both in uniform - he in his sailor blues, she in her nursing whites. They married on July 4, 1947. Gerard attended Hunter College and later St. Johns Law School, courtesy of the G.I. Bill. After practicing law in New York City for several years, Gerard joined the editorial staff of legal publishing company Edward J. Thompson. In 1960 Gerard and his family moved to St Paul Minnesota where he began his long and distinguished career at West Publishing Company. As Sr. Vice President of Marketing, Advertising and West Law, he helped usher in the age of computerized legal research. As one of the owners of the privately held company, he amassed a fortune upon its sale to Thompson Corp. in 1996. In 1988 he donated one million dollars to prevent the dismantling and sale of the historic State Fair Carousel which now bears his name. In 2000, he donated an additional sum to construct the building in Como Park where it is now housed and enjoyed by thousands each year. As a passionate and life long art collector, one of Gerard's greatest achievements was to create the Cafesjian Center for the Arts in Yerevan, Armenia. Housed in a unique, ziggurat-style structure called the Cascade, the Center is a hub for both visual and performing arts and contains works by world renowned artists such as Dale Chihuly, Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslava Brychtova, Pablo Picasso, Arshile Gorky, Jaume Plensa and others. The Center also boasts a sculpture garden containing works by artists such as Fernando Botero, Lynn Chadwick, Barry Flanagan and others.

A fighter all his life, Gerard was finally dealt a blow from which he could not recover when his beloved wife of 66 years passed away in March of this year. Cleo Cafesjian was as vital to him as the beat of his own heart and without her, broken hearted; he departed this world on September 15, 2013.

Gerard was pre-deceased by his parents, Nora Tashjian and Levon Cafesjian, by his son Gerard Cafesjian Jr. and by his beloved wife, Cleo Thomas Cafesjian. He is survived by his sister Mary Dobbs, his daughter Kathleen Baradaran (Jaff Baradaran), his son Thomas Cafesjian, his Granddaughter Carrie Martinson (Ben Jones) and his three Great-Grandsons, Sam, Eli and Jack. No Memorial or funeral service has been scheduled. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Cafesjian Museum Foundation, Inc. 15 South 5th Street Suite 900 Minneapolis MN 55402.

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Operated by volunteers in St. Paul's Como Park, this 68-horse carousel was built in 1914 and rescued from auction in 1988. It is named for its most generous benefactor.

http://www.twincities.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=5415956

 

 

 

　

　

 

 

　

　

Edited September 18, 2013 by Arpa

[hagopn]

Fascinating fellow that seemingly came out of nowhere and took the Armenian world by a blizzard of a surprise. I remember some minor controveries about the "Cafesjian museum as nothing but a showcase for the family glass collection" which naturally turned out to be untrue.

 

So much for rumors. I raise my glass in his memory.