In Memoriam: Haig Didizian (1930-2023)

With deep sorrow, the Eastern Diocese mourns the loss of Haig Didizian: a highly respected, visionary figure of the worldwide Armenian community, who passed away on January 16, in London, United Kingdom.

Mr. Didizian was a leading benefactor of the Armenian Church and its great centers in the Middle East, Europe, America, and in our homeland itself—especially at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. His generosity always supported a profound moral vision, which sought to shape the Armenian Church not only in our time, but for the generations yet to come.

He and his devoted wife Elza left a lasting impression on the Eastern Diocese, inspiring meaningful events at St. Vartan Cathedral, and giving a new birth, and a secure foundation, to St. Nersess Seminary.

Haig’s efforts on behalf of Armenia and Artsakh were many and varied. But the creation of the “His Holiness Karekin I Theological Center” was his signature, matchless endeavor. It was born out of the lifelong friendship between Haig and the late Catholicos of All Armenians. Haig supported His Holiness Karekin I with brotherly loyalty in life, and was fiercely determined to preserve and advance Vehapar’s legacy in the years after his passing.

His personal virtues and deep humanity made Haig Didizian the kind of man who could inspire others, and rally them to support a worthy cause. It was this quality that made Haig the natural figure to represent our people as godfather of the muron blessing ceremony at Holy Etchmiadzin, during the Genocide centennial in 2015.

In a condolence letter to the family, Diocesan Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan wrote: “Naturally, one could hardly picture Haig without envisioning him surrounded by his family, expressions of pride and mutual love beaming off the faces of Haig and Elza, their children and grandchildren. Haig’s passing this week closes a chapter in the history of this distinguished family, in the lives of his many friends and loved ones, and indeed in the story of our community. But we can be consoled in the knowledge that he will now be reunited with departed loved ones in our Lord Jesus’ peaceful and just kingdom.”

Click here to view photos of Mr. Didizian’s activities in the Armenian Church over the years. Read more about his life below.

The funeral will place on Saturday, January 28, at 11 a.m., at St Yeghiché Armenian Church in London. Burial will be private.

Our deepest sympathies go to his wife Elza; their children Hagop, Christopher, and Marly, and the entire Didizian family. May our risen Lord remember his servant Haig Didizian, and console his loved ones at this time.

Haig Didizian (1930-2023)

Haig Hagop Didizian was born in 1930 in Jerusalem into a family that had fled the Armenian Genocide.

As a boy, Haig began his education at Sts. Tarkmanchatz School of Jerusalem until the age of eight and then went on to St. George’s British School in Jerusalem. In 1947 he attended the American University of Beirut because of the unstable political situation in the region. Six months later, his parents, two brothers and three sisters joined him in Beirut. It was a very hard time for the family, having to be uprooted once more and leave everything behind.

In 1952, Haig joined his father in the recycled clothing business, which had been established by his father and great-uncle in 1923. His natural instinct, discipline and hard, meticulous work allowed him to expand the business in the second half of the ’60s into military clothing and footwear which were supplied to various governments.

Haig married Elza Azirian in 1964 and they had three children. Due to the civil war in Lebanon, they moved to Switzerland in 1975 and a new head office was established in Greece. In 1976 the family moved to London, England, where they permanently settled.

In the late 1960s, Haig began diversifying into real estate in Lebanon, the United States, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and Australia. In the 1980s, 1990s and beyond, Haig’s business continued to grow and further diversified into the manufacturing and distribution of food products. The success that Haig’s innate qualities brought about allowed him to give back to the community. He began in the ’60s by helping orphans, poor children, and poor families. He remembers donating two dialyses machines to a hospital in Jerusalem. For Haig, giving was more satisfying than receiving.

One of the people he loved, respected, and admired most was His Holiness Karekin I, of blessed memory. Their first encounter was at Haig’s summer house in Lebanon in 1965. Haig was only too delighted to accommodate His Holiness’ wishes including his last wish of all, which was to have his works published and for a Theological Center to be built.

To honor the memory of His Holiness Karekin I and to realize his wishes, Haig and Elza commissioned and sponsored a series of multi-volume “Karekin I Studies”. Some 17 books covering his life and works have been published, all of which have been distributed to religious educational centers, universities, and libraries worldwide, dignitaries and friends. It is certain whoever reads them, appreciates them and benefits from them. Vehapar was a scholar, philosopher, and a theologian.

As for His Holiness Karekin I’s wish for a theological center, Haig and Elza set out upon their mission and wholeheartedly undertook the building of two theological centers aimed at furthering the education of the clergy. The first His Holiness Karekin I Educational Center was built in Etchmiadzin, Armenia and was opened by H.H. Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, in September 2015. It accommodates clergy and provides them with higher educational facilities.

The second theological center built for the purpose of preserving the spiritual and national heritage of the Armenian people, is the St. Nersess Karekin I Theological Center in Armonk, New York. The St. Hagop Chapel was also built in memory of Haig Didizian’s parents.

For many years, Haig helped the Armenian community worldwide by promoting the Armenian Church and the Armenian language and culture so that they remain alive for generations to come. Other projects undertaken by Haig and his family have included the task of safekeeping St. Gregory Armenian Church in Singapore and the construction of a Scout Association House for young Armenians in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 2013 Haig went on an exploratory visit with other eager Armenians to Armanitola in Dhaka, Bangladesh where the group was able to help save and preserve The Armenian Apostolic Church of Holy Resurrection built in 1781. This was later followed by another exploratory visit, under the auspices and leadership of His Holiness Karekin II, this time to Yangon, Myanmar where the group was able to save the Armenian Apostolic Church of St. John the Baptist, the oldest surviving Church in Yangon built by the Armenian community in 1862.