Obituary for James A. Makoulian

JAMES A. MAKOULIAN         

Viewing

Thursday
June 27, 2019
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Armenian Martyrs' Congregational Church
100 North Edmonds Ave
Havertown, PA 19083

Funeral Service

Thursday
June 27, 2019
11:00 AM
Armenian Martyrs' Congregational Church
100 North Edmonds Ave
Havertown, PA 19083

Interment following funeral service

Thursday
June 27, 2019
Arlington Cemetery
2900 State Rd
Drexel Hill, PA 19026

Donations may be made to:

Armenian Martyrs' Congregational Church
100 North Edmonds Avenue, Havertown PA 19083
Tel: 1-610-446-3330

Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA)
31 West Century Road, Paramus NJ 07652
Tel: 1-201-265-2607

James (Hagop) Makoulian was born in Jerusalem, Palestine to Asadour and Nectar
Makoulian on October 14, 1926. James was the youngest of three children, with two older
sisters. James and his sisters were orphaned at a young age. The children spent several
years at the Armenian Home Orphanage in Shemlan, Lebanon. At the age of 13, James was
separated from his sisters and took various odd jobs in the region. He eventually moved
back to Palestine and lived there until the partition of Palestine in 1948, when the fighting
and lack of work and food forced James to wander as a refugee through Syria, Lebanon and
Jordan.
James made his way to the United States in December of 1956. He knew two people
by name only. He was able to get a job and attended vocational school. After graduating in
1962, James went to work at the University of Pennsylvania. He worked in the Physics
Department and then the School of Engineering until his retirement in 1995. James married
Sona Keusseyan in December of 1964. James and Sona made their home in Drexel Hill,
Pennsylvania where they raised their three children.
James was very active in the Armenian Community. He was a lifetime member of
Armenian Martyrs’ Congregational Church and held many positions of service in the
church, including Chairman of the Board of Trustees, member of the Mission Outreach
Committee, head of the Coffee Hour and Grand Chef on several occasions. Throughout his
life, James was also involved in the Armenian Students’ Association, Knar Choral Group,
Philadelphia Armenian Theatrical Group, Armenian Cultural Group, American Armenian
Society, and the Knights of Vartan, for which he was the local branch Commander for one
term.
James loved volleyball, tavloo (backgammon), swimming in the ocean, telling jokes,
making his famous iced tea, shish kabob (cooking and eating), and most of all, gardening.
He was an award winning vegetable and flower gardener. He was even featured in the
Philadelphia Inquirer and on the local news for his gardening prowess.
James will be dearly missed by his wife Sona, their three children, Haig, Tina and
Sylvia, daughter-in-law Becky and sons-in-law Paul and David, their eight grandchildren,
Jacob, Juliet, Nicholas, Claire, Audrey, Luke, Samantha and Alexandria, and other relatives
and friends.