The Eastern Diocese was deeply grieved over the loss of Heghine (Helene) Irma Der Stepanian, who passed away on May 26, in New Jersey.
Businesswoman, philanthropist, and heroic advocate of the Armenian identity and culture, Irma was born in Damascus, to a family renowned for its literary and cultural achievements. Her father, Mihran Der Stepanian, was an influential writer, journalist, and political figure in the Armenian community. The family relocated from Syria to Lebanon, where Irma received a remarkable education, earning degrees in philosophy, international economics and law, political science, and French literature and history.
Her love of French culture continued throughout her life, and her expertise in languages and economic and legal disciplines energized her distinguished career with Banque Nationale de Paris, after the family moved to the U.S. in 1970.
But Irma’s great passion was promoting and advancing Armenian culture. It was a vocation she shared with her sister, Sylva Der Stepanian—longtime director of the Eastern Diocese’s Armenian language department, and founder of the Armenian Language Lab and Resource Center, which flourished from the 1970s through ’90s. The sisters have been responsible for innovative projects in the U.S., Middle East, and Armenia.
Irma herself was an influential presence in the leading Armenian organizations—AGBU, Tekeyan, the Armenian Red Cross, the ADL—as well as a stalwart benefactor of the Armenian Church. As a board member of the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO), she was instrumental in nominating numerous Armenian leaders to receive the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Though she often preferred to work quietly and behind the scenes, in person Irma had an unforgettable character, in which dramatic strength of conviction merged seamlessly with a gracious, generous spirit. Our sympathies and prayers are with her dear sister Sylva, and the extended family. May God console them, and grant rest to Irma’s spirit.
Read more about Irma’s life and service by clicking here.
Visitation hours for Irma Der Stepanian will be held on Saturday, June 4, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Thomas Armenian Church (174 Essex Dr., Tenafly, NJ). The funeral will follow at 11:30 a.m., with Diocesan Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan presiding. Burial will be at George Washington Cemetery.