Souren Maserejian: A Life of Dedication to AGBU

“It was a very successful event,” recalled Maserejian. “We invited Robert Chilingarian, a well-known singer from Los Angeles, to perform and we drew an audience of about 400 people. And later more performers came from LA, including the Ardavazt Drama Group, which put on shows at Watertown High School.”

“With that money, we were able to build apartments in Karabagh,” said  Maserejian. “People had no houses, they were living in terrible conditions. One apartment, specifically funded by Boston Armenians, bears a plaque thanking us and also St. James.”

More recently, the New England District has contributed $6,000 to the construction of the Armenian Heritage Park, now under way in downtown Boston.

“We are proud of our local efforts,” said Maserejian, “but the Central Board of AGBU, especially, since the earthquake, has made every effort to help Armenia in many different  ways, supporting schools, the symphony, the performing arts, hospitals and many other projects.”

In May 2011, the New England District held a dinner to honor Providence Men’s Chapter Chairman William Aznavourian for his more than 45 years of service and dedication to AGBU.

“Members from the New York Central Board attended, and it was an important occasion to recognize someone who had given so much to the organization,” said Maserejian.

In 2009, Maserejian expressed a desire to retire from his post as chair of the New England District.

“It was time for someone new,” he said. “My involvement was taking time away from my family and I truly felt it was time for a change. But it took nearly two years to find someone. It was Anita Anserian from Central office who suggested lawyer Ara Balikian. He is a young man, as I was when I first took over, and also from Belmont. He comes from a family with strong affiliations to AGBU, and it has been a very smooth transition. Now, we must all support him”

In October, shortly after Maserejian’s official retirement, he received a letter of praise and gratitude from Berge Setrakian, president of AGBU’s Central Board. In part, it read, “I would like to thank you sincerely for your many years of commitment and dedication in leading the AGBU New England District Committee as its chairman. I personally have had the pleasure of working with you, and know that you did not spare any effort in promoting and pursuing the best interests of our Union. Your loyalty, generous nature and leadership are all very noteworthy, and on behalf of the Central Board and myself, I extend our deepest appreciation to you.”

Said Maserejian, “Most of the task involves raising money, and it is hard work.  I am a Protestant and a member of the Armenian Memorial Church in Watertown. We believe that people open up their hearts if you reach out to them. In some ways, things have become more difficult since the 1988 earthquake, because the various chapters are on their own now.”

Maserejian, in addition to his efforts for AGBU, also runs his own business, Maserejian Jewelry, located on Washington Street in Boston.

“I was only 22 when I arrived in Boston.  I had studied jewelry making in Aleppo, but I needed help. I knocked on the door of Barmakian Jewelers and Ara Barmakian took me in. He helped me with my papers and I worked for him for three years. He died in 2006 and his son now heads the business. But he was just an out-of-the-world person, a graduate of MIT. He didn’t speak Armenian, but he loved AGBU and contributed a lot. We went to Armenia together in 1998 and we went  to many conventions together. He helped many people come to this country from Beirut and other places in the Middle East. He saved many people from difficult situations.”

After his apprenticeship with Barmakian, Maserejian started his own store.

“It’s a successful business now, and I design and make jewelry, which is what I love to do. And I have a family of which I am very proud, two daughters — one has a degree in marketing from Bentley College and teaches in Watertown. The other is an accountant who works for the Mugar family. My son has just graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art with a degree in industrial design. Both my daughters are married to Armenians and we all speak Armenian.”

Although Meserejian has stepped down from his official post, he said he would continue to work for the Armenian community. “There is no organization that does more than AGBU both for Armenia and for Armenians here, helping to fund schools, universities and colleges. It is exceeding expectations,” he said.

Maserejian is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Armenian Memorial Church, a member of the Knights of Vartan and a vice chairman of the Armenian Jewelers Association.

“I will continue to do as much as I can to help my Armenian community. My love for Armenia has never stopped and that is why I have been able to give my time and my effort,” he concluded.