With deep sorrow, the Eastern Diocese mourns the loss of Hagop Shahe Jebejian, who passed away on May 3, 2025, after a brief period of illness.
Shahe was a remarkable man who combined dedication to the most rigorous scientific disciplines with the deepest religious faith. These qualities of mind and spirit came together in a warm, affectionate personality that made Shahe a beloved figure throughout our community. He was deeply involved with St. Thomas Church in Tenafly, St. Vartan Cathedral, the Eastern Diocese, St. Nersess Seminary, AGBU, the Karagheusian Foundation, and any concern that advanced the Armenian cause.
A native of Aleppo, his parents Sarkis and Mariam both descended from prominent families in the great Armenian center of Aintab. After his early education in the French schools of Aleppo and Beirut, he enrolled at the American University of Beirut, earning a degree in Civil Engineering.
It was at A.U.B. that Shahe met his future wife, Olympia Tabibian: a kindred spirit who shared his aspirations and drive for excellence. As man and wife, the Jebejians were an exemplary Armenian Christian couple, whose tenderness towards each other was an inspiration to all around them, throughout their 54 years together.
Shortly after settling in America, they were blessed with their children Sarkis and Maria. Their home in Fort Lee, NJ (and later Englewood Cliffs), became a hub of activity and holiday gatherings for the extended Jebejian family. Among its many notable virtues, the family has been a venerable priestly family of the Armenian Church, whose members include Shahe’s grandfather Fr. Nersess Tavukjian, uncle Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan, and brother Fr. Nersess Jebejian (all now of blessed member); and Shahe’s nephew Fr. Aren Jebejian.
In a life of significant accomplishment and countless friendships, Shahe ’s most powerful love was always directed towards his family. His beloved wife Olympia predeceased Shahe in 2021. He is survived by their son Sarkis and his wife Maral, their daughter Maria and her husband Bryan, and grandchildren Robert, Arto, Shahe, and Katia. We pray for their consolation in this time of grief.
The schedule of funeral services will be as follows:
Visitation hours will take place on Thursday, May 8, from 5 to 8 p.m. with the dahn gark (wake) service at 7 p.m., at St. Thomas Armenian Church (174 Essex Dr., Tenafly, NJ).
The funeral service will also take place at St. Thomas Church, on Friday, May 9, at 10 a.m. Diocesan Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan will preside. A burial service at Brookside Cemetery (425 Engle St., Englewood, NJ) will follow.
The family has asked that in-lieu-of-flowers donations be made to the St. Vartan Cathedral Renovation Project of the Eastern Diocese; or to St. Thomas Armenian Church (174 Essex Dr., Tenafly, NJ).
The Jebejian family has also written a touching memorial tribute to Shahe’s life of accomplishment, dedication, and grace, which appears below.
In the meantime, may our risen Lord Jesus bless the soul of His servant, and receive Hagop Shahe Jebejian into His eternal kingdom.
* * *
Hagop Shahe Jebejian (1938-2025)
Hagop Shahe Jebejian, of Englewood Cliffs, NJ, entered his eternal rest on May 3, 2025, after a brief illness. Born in Aleppo, Syria, in 1938 to parents Sarkis and Mariam Jebejian, both from prominent families in the historic Armenian city Aintab in Eastern Anatolia. Shahe attended French schools in Aleppo and Beirut, Lebanon, eventually enrolling in the American University of Beirut, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering.
At A.U.B., he met Olympia Tabibian, the absolute love of his life. They were married in 1967, by then Bishop Karekin Sarkissian—the future 131st Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin I. Shahe and Olympia were inseparable until her unexpected passing in 2021, just a few weeks shy of their 54th wedding anniversary.
Seeking a brighter future for their family, Shahe and Olympia emigrated to the United States in 1969, settling in Fort Lee, NJ. They welcomed their son Sarkis shortly thereafter in 1969, followed by their daughter Maria in 1973. In 1969, Shahe joined the storied structural engineering firm Weidlinger Associates. In his 40-plus year career, Shahe played an instrumental role in projects such as the iconic 9 West 57th office building and Marriot Marquis Hotel both in Manhattan, as well as the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Even more noteworthy, Shahe obtained a U.S. security clearance to work on projects for the U.S. diplomatic, military, and intelligence services, including the renovation and fortification of the U.S. embassy in Amman, Jordan, as well as numerous classified projects.
Beyond professional achievements, Shahe’s life was defined by family, faith and community. His wife Olympia, and children Sarkis and his wife Maral, and Maria and her husband Bryan, were his absolute priorities in life. Shahe’s family was his favorite hobby, and he was always available for the largest and smallest matters. For the members of their large extended family, the home of Hagop and Olympia was a hub of activity, and even served as an informal math and science tutoring facility and study hall for nieces and nephews.
Recent years were filled with joy by the presence of Shahe’s and Olympia’s four grandchildren: Robert Shahe (23) and Arto Bryan (20) Stepanian and Shahe Paul (21) and Katia Marie (19) Jebejian. Named “Hopa” by Robby as an infant (a term of address eventually adopted by the entire extended family), Shahe was ever present in their lives, even joyfully serving as Katia’s driver to tennis lessons in the years after Olympia’s passing which had so devastated him.
As for faith, Shahe was born into a family devoted to the Armenian Church. His grandfather, the Rev. Fr. Nersess Tavukjian, was a hero in the battle of Aintab and his diaries chronicled the deportation and murder of Armenians during the Genocide. Shahe’s uncle, Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan, was the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of America and the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, as well as founder of the St. Vartan Cathedral complex in New York and St. Nersess Seminary. Shahe’s late brother Fr. Nersess, survived by his wife Yn. Aurora, and his nephew Fr. Aren, are priests of the Armenian Church.
Shahe himself served his local parish, St. Thomas Church of Tenafly, NJ, as a parish council member, Diocesan delegate, and Armenian School teacher. One of Shahe’s proudest endeavors was when he and his longtime colleague from Weidlinger, Antranig Ouzounian, led the engineering of the renovation of St. Vartan Cathedral in the 1990s, and he closely followed the current renovation project and wished very much to witness its success. Shahe also served on the Board of Directors of St. Nersess Seminary. As a true testament of his faith, Shahe attended services at St. Thomas every Sunday, until he was no longer physically able.
Shahe was a life-long member and leader of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the world’s largest Armenian non-profit, which promotes the prosperity and wellbeing of Armenians worldwide. He was a leader in AGBU’s community centers in the Middle East, and later in the U.S. was a member of the AGBU International Youth Committee, which organized the highly successful World Athletic Games in Los Angeles in 1986 and in Miami in 1988. Shahe also chaired the AGBU Eastern District Committee in the 1990s. In his later years he was a member of the Karagheusian Foundation board, dedicated to serving Armenian children and families.
Shahe is survived by his children, grandchildren, brother Aren and wife Seta, and hundreds of family and friends who will miss him deeply and keep his spirit alive by carrying forward his dedication to family, faith and community.