Obituary: Jack Marshall Medzorian, Dedicated to Knights of Vartan, Armenia

Medzorian’s service to the Knights of Vartan began in 1986 when he was recruited by his friend Ardashes Der Ananian of Ararat Lodge No. 1. One year later, he became Grand Treasurer during the tenure of Grand Commander Martin Martinian. He twice served as Commander of Ararat Lodge during the 1990s. He directed the Armenia Medical Aid Program and also founded the Knights of Vartan School Support Program. Medzorian also served as chair of the Board of Trustees for the Knights of Vartan Fund for Armenian Studies and most recently gave his support to the Women’s Resource Center of Armenia, which works for equal rights for women in Armenia and the promotion of women’s issues.

Knights of Vartan Grand Commander Steven Adams described NS Jack as “THE example of a Knight of Vartan”.

Along with his wife, Medzorian made over 100 trips to Armenia since 1972 and brought with them medical equipment, school supplies and other materials to help support hospitals and schools in the border regions of the country. His last trip to Armenia was in September of 2018, when he and Eva joined their fellow Knights and Daughters of Vartan during their pilgrimage to the motherland.

Jack’s love and dedication to The Knights of Vartan was inspiring, so inspiring that both his son David and daughter Ruth joined the Knights and Daughters of Vartan respectively.

On November 17, 2019, Medzorian was honored for his lifetime of service to the Armenian community with a gala celebration banquet at the Saint James Cultural Center in Watertown and hosted by Ararat Lodge and Arpie Otyag. In his remarks at the conclusion of the gala, NS Jack said with all humility, “You are my village because it has taken a whole village to do the things that I’ve done. My accomplishments were the result of working with great folks. I have not been alone, there was always a team that I worked with.”

When it came to being part of a great team, Jack and Eva Medzorian were a tough act to follow. The two met while he was Superintendent of the Saint James Sunday School and she was a choir member. They married in 1955 and had four children and five grandchildren. Eva was as committed to helping the Armenian people as Jack was, and together they undertook efforts and forged new programs that continue to bear fruit.

Medzorian had a life-long love of tennis. He began playing at the age of thirteen and continued to play into his eighties. He became an avid Red Sox fan late in life and always wanted to be kept up to date on a game’s score, even if he could not watch or listen.

Medzorian is survived by his wife, Naghkin Dirouhie Eva Medzorian and their four children, David Medzorian, Ruth Falletti, John Medzorian, and Mark Medzorian; his five grandchildren, Alexander Medzorian, Jack Medzorian, Eva Maria Medzorian, Kevin Medzorian and Angelina Falletti.

Funeral services will be private. The family says a “Celebration of Life” in honor of Jack Medzorian will be held when the current crisis is over.

Jack’s last project, which he worked on with his wife, Eva, was to support the Women’s Resource Center in Berd, Armenia. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that the donations in memory of Jack Medzorian be made to “The Women’s Resource Center in Berd.”

Checks may be made to:

Fund for Armenian Relief / Women’s Resource Center

Fund for Armenian Relief

630 Second Avenue

New York, N.Y. 10016

Please specify: In memory of Jack Medzorian