Categories: Uncategorized

Jack Hachigian – Farewell to a Family Friend

Now that my mother is gone, there’s no one to spread news
about family and friends. My mother was the ‘grape vine’ of Armenian activities,
spreading any news from east to west, and north to south. 


Having lived in Paterson, NJ for much of her youth, Mom
wove close ties to the Armenians-from-Paterson crowd. She kept in touch with
them all, no matter where they ended up as adults.
Jack Hachigian

Mom’s side of the family was particularly close with the
Hachigian family – Moses, Elizabeth, and their sons Paul and Jack. The elders
all came from Musa Dagh and lived near each other in Paterson. We all attended
St. Leon Armenian Church in that same town.


Mom and Jack stayed in touch until her passing just
a few months ago. I’m the one who called him to break the news. Jack talked
about his fond memories of Mom and their parents – the good times and their
times of struggle.

Jack was quite a guy – athlete, scholar, artist, and
cookbook author. He mastered his mother’s recipes from Musa Dagh to create a
very special cookbook, ‘Secrets from an Armenian Kitchen’ which I wrote about a few years ago.

You can imagine my shock and sadness, when I saw an
obituary for Jack in the ‘The Armenian Weekly’! He passed away in San Diego, CA
last month.You can read about his accomplishments in the obit, but you had to
know Jack to fully appreciate the wonderful human being that he was.

In my mind, I know that Mom and Jack are together
catching up on the good-old days, and that makes me smile.

Rest in Peace, Jack.

View Comments

Recent Posts

Armenian Tomato and Bulgur Soup with Mint – by Christine Vartanian Datian

Just in time for soup season, Christine Datian offers The Armenian Kitchen her recipe for…

2 weeks ago

Easter Menu Planning? Look no further!

  I don’t know about you, but in our family, we’re all about tradition when…

7 months ago

St. Sarkis Day and 3 celebratory recipes

It’s that time of year again! St. Sarkis Day, the moveable feast day on the…

9 months ago

A Traditional Recipe for Armenian Christmas Eve – Nevik

Way back in 2010 Ara Kassabian shared his family’s recipe for Nevik with The Armenian…

10 months ago

Thanksgiving Recipes Revisited

With Thanksgiving Day just hours away, I thought I’d share a few of our favorite,…

12 months ago

George Mardikian’s Chicken Tchakhokhbelli recipe, dish favored by Georgian princes.

My family and I had the distinct honor of meeting George Mardikian at his restaurant,…

1 year ago

This website uses cookies. find out more.