Armenian Revolutionary Federation leader and former member of its governing Bureau, Dr. Hratch Abrahamian passed away on March 19 after a long illness in the Greater Washington area.
Dr. Hratch Armen Abrahamian was born October 25, 1921 in Rasht, Iran to Armenak and Shoushanik Abrahamian. He was the eldest brother to his twin brothers, Babgen and Vazgen. Hratch and his brothers followed the footsteps of their father, Armenak and studied dentistry. Dr. Hratch received his BS degree from Alborz College in Iran, 1941, and his DMD from Tehran University school of Dentistry in 1945. His craving for further education led him to Paris where he received his MS degree from University of Paris in 1947. But still that was not enough, he came to the US and attended Northwestern University school of Dentistry, Chicago and received his DDS degree in 1951. He then continued his training in Memorial Cancer Hospital in NY until 1954.
During his training at the Memorial Cancer Hospital in NY, he met his beloved wife, Angeline Abrahamian and were married March 17, 1954. In August of 1954, they moved to Washington DC where he became affiliated with the Georgetown University School of Dentistry, where he was associate professor of the Department of Prosthodontics, in charge of Maxillofacial Prosthetics and the Director of the Cleft Palate Center.
In 1969, He received the second annual Harold W. Krogh Award for outstanding contribution to control of oral cancer. Dr. Abrahamian also volunteered at the cancer Society for over 10 years. He was a consultant at the NIH, VA Hospital, Washington, Hospital Center (Tumor board), Dc General Hospital, and attending staff at the Georgetown University Hospital.
He loved dentistry and only retired a few years prior his passing.
Since the independence of the Republic of Armenia, he traveled to Armenia 36 times, one time with Fulbright scholarship, where he spent 4 months there, consulting and training Yereven University dental and Medical school residents. He translated many of his dental books to Armenian and published it at four different times. These books are currently being thought at the University.
He established a Maxillofacial dental center in the military hospital in the Armenia with the support of the Armenian American Health Association of Greater Washington. He trained all the residents and the center was and is its only kind in the entire region.
During the Lebanon war, he traveled to the war zone four times, helping the Armenians. He was instrumental in collecting over $1,000,000.00 in aid from the Armenian-Iranian community for the Armenians in Lebanon.
He had meetings with every Presidents of the US from president Nixon to George W. Bush, discussing Armenian issues.
He always had a positive attitude toward life, if you ever asked him “how are you” his response was always “gerazantz” or perfect. He was the backbone of the Abrahamian family, He was intelligent, hard working, thoughtful and compassionate. He was a dedicated dentist, father, grand father, brother, and uncle. He loved his family and enjoyed spending time with them. Everyone who knew him adorned his caring and compassionate attitude toward life. He will be missed dearly, but his memory will always remain in our hearts.
He is survived by his dughter Karen Hatchik, his grand dughters Andrea and Valerie, four great grandchildren, sister in laws Astghik and Lida Abrahamian, and his nieces and nephews, Shakeh, Armen, Rouzan, Teny and Armineh Abrahamian.
God Bless his Soul
R.I.P.