Hidden Road Initiative

Henry O. Keledjian

1944 - 2021
Henry Keledjian was born in 1944 to Hovhaness and Takouhi Keledjian, in Zahle, Lebanon. The youngest of seven children, Henry enjoyed the motherly attention of his older sisters, one of the privileges of being the baby of the family.
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Facilitated by the efforts of his older brother, Henry emigrated from Lebanon to the United States as a student on a refugee visa in 1964. After a stint living in Pomona, Henry moved to and settled in Fresno, where he enrolled in what was then known as Pacific College. Henry worked two and three part-time jobs at a time to support himself, and contribute to the support of his elderly parents. Still adjusting to life far from most of his family, Henry would earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Pacific College.

While a student at Pacific College, Henry met Arpi Chamichian, and they were married in 1971. Henry would become a beloved son-in-law, and his attentiveness to his in-laws late in their lives served as an example to his children and grandchildren.
Henry and Arpi’s marriage was blessed with two children, Jason and Jennifer. Henry instilled in his children a love of family, a sense of adventure, and a strong work ethic. He was proud of his children’s educational and professional accomplishments, but he was prouder still of their devotion to their family and their faith, and of the grandchildren that they were raising.  
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Henry’s sense of adventure was on display when he bought a Winnebago and took his family on two long summer vacations—one cross-country road trip that went as far east as New York and up to Niagara Falls, and another trip to Alaska on the rough ALCAN Highway. Temporarily stranded when an avalanche closed the road and forced a line of vehicles to stay in place for three days, Henry characteristically befriended those in the nearby RVs. He always had a knack for striking up conversations with strangers and showing them kindnesses.

An elementary school teacher for 39 years in Fowler and Fresno, Henry was respected by his peers, and by the students and their families. It was a sign of the respect that the parents at his schools had for him that so many of them requested that their children be assigned to Henry’s classroom. Henry maintained a number of close relationships with his fellow teachers, fostered by periodic lunches and visits—especially with his friends from Jackson Elementary School—that continued until shortly before Henry’s passing.

Henry greatly enjoyed the time that his retirement gave him to spend working on projects around the house and tending to his vineyard in Madera. His love of making raisins delayed his eventual redevelopment of the property into the almonds that are there today. Henry and Arpi traveled extensively, from short trips to California’s central coast to lengthy trips abroad with cherished family and friends. A particularly meaningful trip for Henry was to historic Armenia and Musa Dagh in 2019, when Henry visited the villages of his ancestors and connected with some relatives who remained there.

Henry was happiest when he was with his family, particularly his grandchildren. He created reasons to spend time with the grandchildren and loved going on outings with them. A frequent destination was the farm in Madera, where he would teach the underaged grandchildren to drive his pickup, usually too fast and often through the mud. He was a fixture at the grandkids’ school activities and awards ceremonies and looked forward to picking the grandchildren up from school to shuttle them to an activity or home—rarely missing an opportunity to sneak in a milkshake or ice cream cone along the way.

Henry enjoyed reading and watching the news on television. He was always up to speed on international affairs, particularly involving Armenia and the Middle East; his Musa Daghtsi Armenian heritage was very important to him, and he would read anything written about Musa Dagh.

Henry arrived in this country with very little but achieved success through his hard work and sacrifice. He almost never criticized others, and naturally looked for the good in people. Henry was a kind and honorable man who was liked by all who knew him.
Henry passed away on March 16, 2021, after an illness of a little more than a year that he faced with great courage and dignity. He was a selfless man who was more concerned about those closest to him than he was about himself.
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In honor of Henry Keledjian’s life and commitment to education and Armenian community, Henry’s family established the Henry Keledjian’s Memorial Fund, which funds the Henry Keledjian Service Program. Click the button below to learn more about the program.