By Lisa Ann Batitto

Mr. and Mrs. Berdj and Adrienne Movsesian value education, family and their Armenian heritage. They cherish these ideals so much that to honor their late daughter Adrina, the Movsesians established a memorial endowment fund that will pay for the education of needy and worthy Armenian youths who are enrolled in four-year colleges or universities. The Diocese of the Armenian Church of America will grant the scholarships through the Armenian Church Endowment Fund (ACEF).

Adrina died tragically on March 17, 1991, in an automobile accident that was caused by a drunken driver. Born in 1968, she attended Holy Martyr’s Armenian Church Sunday School in Flushing, NY, until her family moved to Cherry Hill, NJ, in 1984. She graduated with honors from Cherry Hill East High School in 1986, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in business from Villanova University in 1990. At the time of her passing, she was a rising star in the Private Label Department of Vanguard Mutual Funds.

Adrina’s father, Berdj, said the family established the Adrina M. Movsesian Memorial Scholarship Fund so that his daughter’s memory would live on in a way that benefits others. He also hopes that families who find them-selves in their own sad situations will be moved to remember their loved ones in a similar fashion. "It is a way for something good to come out of this," Mr. Movsesian said, who added that his daughter is also survived by a brother Paul.

In accepting the gift on behalf of the Diocese, His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate, said, "For those who loved Adrina and were looking forward to her continued presence in their lives, her departure came much too early. Our Church teaches that such individuals are never truly lost; Christ has promised us that one day we will be reunited with our loved ones, and we will finally understand why all things had to be. But even in this world, the spirit of a beautiful individual lives on in those who love and remember her. Through this beautiful gesture, Adrina’s family can be comforted by the knowledge that other lives will be enriched through this generous gift made in her name."

The Movsesian family was inspired to set up this endowment fund by a similar gesture of Sal and Harriet Cefalu, who lost their 18-year-old son Louie in June 1998. Several months after his passing, they established a fund with the proceeds going to St. Vartan Camp. Over the years, they have continued to make contributions into the Louie Cefalu Fund, including one in June 1999 to mark what would have been their son’s 19th birthday.

Those interested in establishing a memorial fund or contributing to an existing fund through ACEF may call George Kassis, Executive Director, at (212) 686-0710, ext. 54; e-mail him at endowment@armeniandiocese.org; or write to him at: the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, 630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4806.