Shant John Harootunian

SHANT JOHN HAROOTUNIAN MARCH 15, 1931- February 23, 2023 Shant John Harootunian, the son of Sarkis and Aghavny Harootunian, was born in Providence, R.I. In 1944, the Harootunian family moved to Philadelphia, PA, where he graduated from West Philadelphia High School in 1948 and from Temple University in 1952. During the Korean War, in October 1952, Shant enlisted in the United States Navy as a Seaman Recruit and was released from duty as a Lieutenant {JG} in 1956. He subsequently served an additional 35 years in the U S Naval Reserve until his retirement in 1991, as a Commander, Judge Advocate General Corps. He married Louise Hightaian of Worcester, MA on December 6, 1953 and the pair embarked on a honeymoon cruise, aboard a U S Navy transport vessel bound for London, England where he was then assigned to duty with the U S Naval Security Group. Their first child, Lu-Anne Mercedes, was born during the Harootunian's stay in England Upon release from active naval service in 1956, Shant enrolled in the University of Virginia School of Law, graduating in 1959 with a J.D. degree. The Harootunian's second child, a son, Shant Veeken, was born in 1959. Mr. Harootunian was admitted to the bars of Pennsylvania, New York, and the U.S. Military Court of Appeals. He was a Certified Trial and Defense Counsel in the Navy JAG Corps. He was a member of the Legal Department of Pennsylvania Power & Light Company for eight years and then resigned to join the Long Lines Department of American Telephone and Telegraph Company in New York. As a member of AT&T's Law Department, he specialized in international matters, chiefly involving the establishment of international submarine cable joint ventures. He was the primary author of numerous analogs, and the first digital, submarine cable system construction and maintenance agreements between the United States mainland and various overseas locations, including the United Kingdom, France, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, the Lesser Antilles, and the Hawaiian Islands. After retiring from AT&T in 1989, along with two colleagues, he established Tri-Star Consultants Associated, Inc. where he served as Vice President and General Counsel. Tri-Star was hired by international telephone administrations in the Caribbean area to establish a joint venture for the building of a digital submarine cable system between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Mr. Harootunian's fluency in Spanish attracted numerous clients in the Latin world and greatly facilitated his legal activities in the Caribbean and South America. Subsequently, TriStar was also hired by NYNEX Corp. to negotiate and prepare the construction agreement to establish the longest and largest capacity digital submarine cable system in the world, the FLAG Cable. This cable extended from the United Kingdom, through Europe, the Mediterranean, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Korea, and Japan. Mr. Harootunian retired from Tri-Star in 1996. Mr. Harootunian was a long-time member of Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church of Ridgefield NJ, serving as Vice Chairman on the Parish Board of Trustees and 16 years as a National Delegate. As a National Delegate he was elected numerous times to Chair the National Representative Assemblies of the Armenian Eastern Prelacy churches. He also served for over a decade on the Executive Council of the Armenian Eastern Prelacy and as a World Delegate of that body, attending world meetings of the Armenian Catholicossate of Cilicia in Aleppo, Syria and Beirut, Lebanon. He was also a member and served on the board of trustees of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Greater Atlanta. Mr. Harootunian was a veteran member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation for over 50 years, having served in its Philadelphia and New Jersey Committees. He was an active member of the Kiwanis Club of Peachtree City, GA, having served on its Board of Directors and as Chairman of its Inter-Club Committee for many years. He was designated as "Kiwanian of the Year" in 2005 and was named as a Hixson Fellow in 2007. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Lu-Anne and Michael Albert of Roswell GA, his son and daughter-in-law, Shant and Jeanne Harootunian of Morristown NJ, grandchildren, Sean Albert, Matthew Albert, Chloe Harootunian and Paige Harootunian, great grandson Aiden Albert, his brother Harry Harootunian and numerous nephews and nieces. He was predeceased by his wife, Louise Harootunian, parents and his brother, Dr. Berj Harootunian. Burial will take place in the Georgia National Cemetery, Canton GA at 11:00 a.m. on March 10, 2023. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, 138 E. 39th Street, New York, NY 10016

Shant John Harootunian

March 15, 1931 - February 23, 2023