John G. Hagopian

John G. Hagopian, age 65, died peacefully June 18, 2009, at his home in the loving care of his wife and family, after a courageous battle against stomach cancer.He was born September 22, 1943 in The Bronx, New York to the late Hagop and Victoria (Sarajian) Hagopian, refugees from the Armenian genocide.He attended Stuyvesant High School and matriculated to Lafayette College, graduating in 1965 with a metallurgical engineering degree. He was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity.After graduation, he began his career with Olin-Mathieson Brass Division in Alton, IL, eventually arriving in New Philadelphia in 1967 to work at the former Alsco Anaconda Company in Gnadenhutten, becoming plant manager in 1971 at age 28. His association with Alsco lasted almost 40 years and he was credited with several patents in the home building products industry during that time. The last years of his career were spent as an independent sales consultant for the aluminum home building products industry, covering the eastern United States.John married Nancy (nee Flickinger) of Ligonier, PA on June 20, 1965 in Manasqua, NJ. Through their 44 years of marriage, they reared four children, with Biblical principles and Christian values emphasized in their parenting. Central to their family life was their faithful membership at First Christian Church in New Philadelphia, where John worshipped for 33 years, serving as a beloved Sunday School teacher of the Christian Builders class, and as an elder and youth group advisor. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” (I Peter 5:6)John had a love of classical music that began early in life, when he was selected to play violin in the All-City Junior Orchestra of New York City, and continued with his participation in the Tuscarawas County Philharmonic Orchestra. He also had a creative mind – composing the wedding march for Nancy at their wedding, participating in the design of his home and the office building at Alsco, and becoming an amateur, self-taught naval architect and car designer, creating prototype drawings of sea-worthy pleasure craft and sports and economy cars.His love of boating culminated in ten seasons aboard his daycruiser the “Nancy Jane”, harbored in Milford, CT, where he had spent his boyhood summers exploring Long Island Sound. His love of cars made him very well-known among local car salesmen (though he rarely every bought anything), and the recipient of seemingly thousands of car magazines!John will be sadly missed by his wife, Nancy; their children, Heather Hagopian of New Philadelphia, April (husband, Skip) Shaw of New Albany, O., Sharon (husband, Jamie) Gustkey of New Philadelphia, and John (wife, Melissa) Hagopian of Painesville, O.; his brother, Aram (wife, Shirley) Hagopian of Norwalk, CT; his brother-in-law, Richard (wife, Roxanna) Flickinger of Ligonier, PA; and his grandchildren, Polly and Josie Pinelli, Ethan, Sophie, and Coulter Shaw, and John Henry and Charlie Hagopian. Four nephews complete John’s family.Visitation will be held in the Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home & Crematory at New Philadelphia on Monday, June 22, 2009 from 5 to 8 p.m. A service celebrating John’s life will take place Tuesday in the First Christian Church at New Philadelphia beginning at 10:30 a.m. with one hour of visitation prior to the service. Burial will immediately follow at Evergreen Burial Park in New Philadelphia.Memorial contributions in memory of John may be directed to the Armenian Missionary Association, 31 W. Century Rd., Paramus, NJ 07652.”So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory?…But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Corinthians 15: 54-55, 57)