HAVERHILL — The Armenian Apostolic Church at Hye Pointe recently dedicated its multi-use hall, naming it after the late Krikor Ermonian, whose estate provided the church with a gift of $1.5 million towards building its sanctuary.
Church officials said Ermonian’s donation, provided by his relatives, represented the single largest bequest Hye Pointe has received during its building project.
With the blessing of the Very Rev. Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan, Primate of Eastern Diocese, the Rev. Father Vart Gyozalyan, pastor of the Armenian Apostolic Church at Hye Pointe, conducted the dedication and blessing service for the newly named Krikor Ermonian Hall with over 100 people present.
“The donation in the name of Krikor helps us to move forward in the continued construction of the sanctuary and empowers us to continue God’s work on this earth,” Gyozalyan said.
The hall, part of the church’s Family Life and Cultural Center, has been used over the past five years to conduct Holy Badarak services weekly and also hosts the church’s Armenian food festivals and other events. This was the first opportunity to dedicate the Hall due to COVID-19, church officials said.
Hye Pointe is the first merged parish in the Diocese and has been steadily moving forward towards the completion of its sanctuary, despite the pandemic, Gyozalyan said.
The gift, in excess of $1.5 million dollars, was directed to Hye Pointe by Ermonian’s relatives, Jack and Audrey Pilibosian, who have family ties to the church.
Krikor Ermonian was born in Worcester and was the son of Simon and Satenig (Yeghiayan) Ermonian. He and his brother Mitchell grew up in a traditional Armenian family, valuing hard work and education. Krikor attended public school in Arlington, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, receiving a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering.
He was a member of the “Greatest Generation,” serving in both the European and Pacific fronts of World War II. A beneficiary of the G.I. Bill, Ermonian was at Fort Devens in Shirley before enrolling at UMass Amherst and subsequently earning his degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering in 1952.
After graduation, Ermonian joined the Army Corps of Engineers. Following a brief assignment in the Construction Division, where he worked on the construction of Westover Air Base, he enrolled in the engineering trainee unit and subsequently assumed a position in the Engineering Division in 1954, where he spent the remainder of his Army Corps career. He dedicated his career to designing flood control structures throughout New England. His reward was the satisfaction of seeing these projects provide flood protection to the populace of New England, church officials said.
Ermonian never married, but continued to live on the second floor of a two-family home in Arlington, which had been originally purchased by his parents. He believed in the importance of education, which explains his generous gifts for student scholarships at UMass Amherst and Arlington High School.
Always continuing to learn, he was a history buff and completed over 100 courses at Harvard University Division of Continuing Education. He also spent many hours at various libraries and was a benefactor of the Armenian Church Endowment Fund. He had a keen mathematical mind, invested wisely, and had contributed well over a million dollars to various causes.
As many people commented, Ermonian was a very humble man, Gyozalyan said.
Ermonian did not drive but took the MBTA or walked. He left a bequest to UMass Amherst and 22 other charities, including the Armenian Apostolic Church at Hye Pointe. His donation enabled Hye Pointe to complete the exterior shell of its Sanctuary, create an endowment, and provide operational support.
Ermonian’s cousin and executor of his estate, Jacob (Jack) Pilibosian and his wife Audrey, felt that the work at Hye Pointe would have excited Krikor. His interest in education, design, conservation, and fulfillment of the Armenian Church are reflected at Hye Pointe, where parish members are eternally grateful in the generous contribution to the Hye Pointe community, Gyozalyan said.
After a brief pause due to COVID-19, the church has begun its campaign to complete its Sanctuary for Consecration. With a state security grant of $125,000, exterior and interior security installations are underway, as well as other aspects of internal infrastructure.
Naming opportunities are available. For more information on donating, visit online at hyepointearmenianchurch.org.