Zaven Khanjian, executive director of AMAA, has died

The veteran executive director of the Armenian Missionary Association of America died Friday in Glendale. He was 80.

The AMAA Board of Directors issued a statement conveying the sad news.

“AMAA mourns the passing of its Executive Director/CEO Zaven Khanjian, who served the organization in that capacity for 10 years with the utmost diligence and dedication. In fact, his entire life was an example of service to his church, his community, and the entire Armenian people in our homeland of Armenia and in the Diaspora,” said Dr. Nazareth Darakjian, AMAA Board Chairman.

“He was a true leader, much loved by the staff, board members and supporters of the organization. He was a man of vision, a great communicator, a highly gifted writer and speaker. He was a kind person, a family man and his many grandchildren were the light of his life. Above all, he was a man of unwavering faith and a true soldier of Christ. Mr. Khanjian’s passing is a great loss to AMAA, the Armenian Evangelical Church, the Armenian people and all of humanity. May the Holy Spirit comfort his family and friends and may the Lord bless his memory until the end of time,” he added.

A husband, father, grandfather, author, and advocate of Armenian culture and heritage both in Armenia and the diaspora, Zaven died peacefully, surrounded by his loving family.

Born on July 31, 1944, and raised in Aleppo, Syria, he was one of five children of Armenian Genocide survivors Vasken and Verjin Khanjan. He grew up in the Emmanuel Armenian Evangelical Church and was an active member of its youth group.

After graduating from Aleppo College, he attended the American University of Beirut in Lebanon and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1967. Shortly after graduation, he moved to the Gulf and spent 13 years working in his profession, holding top positions in prestigious companies while creating “Little Armenians” with like-minded Armenians in the region.

He married his devoted wife Sona Kelligian in 1973 and together they raised a family of two sons and a daughter. In 1979, Zaven moved his family to California and after working for a few years, he entered the real estate business, establishing his own successful real estate company, Kanjyan Realty in Glendale in 1987.

Khanjian was appointed Executive Director/CEO of AMAA on September 1, 2014. During his 10-year tenure, he oversaw numerous milestones, including the opening of the Khoren and Shooshanig Avedisian School in Yerevan, the Armenian Genocide Centennial commemoration in 2015, the successful AMAA Centennial Capital Campaign, and the AMAA 100th Anniversary in 2018.

Over the years, Khanjian has been an active member of the Greater Los Angeles community, holding leadership positions with the Armenia Fund, The Armenian Evangelical Union of North America, The Merdinian Armenian Evangelical School, The United Armenian Congregational Church, Haigazian University of Beirut, Glendale Family YMCA, The Salvation Army-Glendale Corps, American for Artsakh, The Armenian-American Real Estate Association, and served as chairman of the Syrian Armenian Relief Fund, which has raised over $1 million.

He published a number of articles in two languages ​​in the American media in Armenia and was the author of three books in Armenian: Ays dune Kuget e Te Ims? (Is This Your Home or Mine?); Srdi yev Mdki Tsolker (Meditations of the Mind and Soul) and Haleb Arachin Gayaran (Memories of a Memorable Childhood).

Khanjian has received numerous awards, including the Medal of Gratitude from the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sarkisian on May 28, 2017 in Armenia for his contribution to strengthening Armenia-diaspora relations and preserving Armenian identity. On September 13, 2019, he was awarded the title of Honorary Member of the Writers’ Union of Armenia for his books and articles on Armenia.

He was a member of the United Armenian Congregational Church in Los Angeles.

Khanjian is survived by his wife Sona; three children Vasken, Hrag and his wife Michelle, and Vana and her husband Armen Vartanian; five grandchildren and one granddaughter; brother and sisters Laura Prather, Dicky Dodd, and Dikran and Mariette Asdghig Khanjian. He was preceded in death by his sister Anahid Terjimanian in April 2024.

AMAA will provide information regarding funeral services in the coming days.

Founded in 1918, the Armenian Missionary Society of America serves the spiritual, educational, and social needs of Armenian communities in 24 countries around the world, including Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.