Helene derStepanian remembered
To the family and friends of our beloved Helene Irma der Stepanian,
It was with great sorrow that we learned of the passing of our friend, Helene der Stepanian. She served as President of the organization, as well as a board member and one of the first individuals to join William D. Fugazy when he founded The Ellis Island Honors Society,
Helene shared with me that she became involved with EIHS, then known as NECO - the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, when she read that several prominent businessmen in New York City were creating an organization to fight ethnic discrimination and advance tolerance, understanding, and brotherhood throughout the nation, regardless of race, religion or creed. She immediately contacted William Fugazy at his offices and offered her services. With her humanitarian spirit and love of her native Armenia, Helene was uniquely positioned to make an important difference in the organization. She was not only the first woman on the Board of Directors, but she was also the only voice representing the South Caucasus-area, which she did so magnificently.
In the 35+ years that Helene was with EIHS, she made innumerable contributions. Her international experience shaped much of Helene’s world view, and she brought that sense of global compassion to EIHS. The organization soon expanded its mission to assist with international issues and sponsored many humanitarian missions around the world: from providing life-saving cardiac care to children in South America and the Caribbean, to fostering educational opportunities in countries like Armenia and developing nations.
It was Helene who introduced EIHS to the vibrant Armenian community throughout the tri-state area. Each year, she presented several extraordinary Armenians as potential Ellis Island Medalists, and as a result, we have honored dozens of Armenian-Americans for their contributions to Armenia and their adopted homeland. Helene also introduced EIHS to some of the most important figures in contemporary Armenian culture, including the Catholicos Karekin II, spiritual leader of Armenia's national church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the worldwide Armenian diaspora. I’m delighted that with Helene’s assistance, EIHS traveled to Yerevan specifically to honor the Catholicos with our Global Humanitarian Ellis Island Medal of Honor for his work promoting peace and tolerance around the world. Helene also organized a private dinner reception in New York City where EIHS hosted the then-sitting president of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, with a tour of Ellis Island and our international medal. Since we first presented the medal to President Sargsyan, we’ve presented the medal to several other world leaders including the Prime Ministers of the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Monaco, and Japan. We owe a debt of thanks to Helene for organizing that first presentation and helping EIHS become an internationally recognized humanitarian organization. For this and so many other reasons including her philanthropy and generosity of spirit, I’m so delighted that we recognized Helene’s inspiring service to our nation with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2012.
In reflection, Helene der Stepanian was an amazing woman who gave so much of herself in service to others. She not only was a voice for professional women in business, but also gave her heart to those in need, tirelessly working to benefit others and bring peace and understanding to this world. While these simple sentences describe her, they do not capture her spirit and her charming personality which embraced everyone with love and kindness. Helene der Stepanian will live in our hearts and in the memories of those who knew her. She is forever in our prayers.
Sincerely,
Nasser J. Kazeminy
Chairman
