The Homenetmen Family has suffered a tremendous loss in the passing of Yeghpayr Steve Artinian. Y. Steve passed away Saturday, June 17, 2023 in his hometown of LA, surrounded by his family and loved ones.
We pray for his family and closest friends and wish him eternal peace. He will always remain a valued member of Homenetmen and our community at large and his giving spirit will be sorely missed.
Born in 1960 in Beirut, Lebanon. At the age of six, Yegh. Steve Artinian’s family moved to Greece and then in 1970, moved to the United States and settled in Springfield, Massachusetts where
there was a small Armenian community. After living on the East Coast for three years, at the age of 13, Steve and his family moved to Glendale, California where he served as an Alter-boy at
Saint Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church during its early days.
Professionally, Steve was currently Vice President of Marketing for a national home organizing company with locations throughout the US and Canada.
While living in Greece, at the age of 8 his parents enrolled him in Homenetmen as a scout. Steve participated in scouting activities until his family moved back to Lebanon prior to moving to
California.
Organizationally in 1973, Steve joined the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) on his 13th birthday. In 1978 he rejoined the ranks of Homenetmen as a Social Committee member for Homenetmen Los Angeles and eventually served as chair of the committee. Back then the Social Committee in Los Angeles had over 60 active members. After a short period serving on the chapter’s Social Committee, Yegh. Steve was elected to serve on the Chapter’s Executive Board, where he served Homenetmen for the next 11 years, five of which as the chapter’s chairperson.
He was then elected to serve on the Homenetmen Western US Region’s Regional Executive Board for five terms. From 2007-2010 Yegh. Steve served as Homenetmen Western US Region’s Regional Executive Board Chairperson. During his tenure, the organization opened new athletic and community centers in Los Angeles, Pasadena, Burbank, and Glendale. As well as, designed and built the current headquarters of Homenetmen Western USA, a state-of-the-art, 8,500-square-foot facility which includes the Kevork Andonian Hall located in Eagle Rock, CA.
During his tenure as the Chairperson of the Regional Executive Board, Homenetmen Western USA acquired a 26-acre campground in Frazier Park, CA from the Girl Scouts of America.
Homenetmen Camp Tecuya, located in the Los Padres National Forest, is approximately 75 miles north of Los Angeles. Homenetmen Camp Tecuya is the world's largest Armenian campground and is designed to facilitate Homenetmen Western US Region’s various programs and divisions including Homenetmen Hrashq, a Western US Region division and program for children with special needs.
In 2012 Steve served as chairman of the Armenian National Committee of North America (ANCA) National Telethon Committee, which yielded over 3,500 donations. He served twice as Co-Chair of the Western Prelacy Public Relations Committee for the official California visit of His Holiness Aram I. He has also served in committees for the Armenian Relief Society Western Region, the ANCA, the Armenian Cultural Foundation (ACF), The Syrian Armenian Relief Fund, The Iraqi Armenian Relief Fund, the Homenetmen Glendale Ararat Chapter Fundրaising Committee, and The Armenian Bone Marrow Registry.
In 2015, Centennial Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Steve served as chair of the historic March for Justice Marketing Committee. The march attracted an unprecedented number of participants with over 166,000 marchers. In 2018 Steve served as chair of the Los Angeles Chapter 50th Anniversary Committee as Homenetmen Western US Region celebrated the founding of the first chapter on the west coast of the United States.
Yegh. Steve Artinian was the recipient of Homenetmen’s “Ardagark” Award in 2019. An award bestowed upon him by Homenetmen Western US Region’s Executive Board for his dedication and service to the organization.
Yegh. Steve continued to serve Homenetmen as the chairperson for the 44th, 45th, and 46th Navasasartian Games & Festival’s Victory Ball Committee.
Yegh. Steve was a committed volunteer, always ready to serve where he can. He believed as organizations, our greatest assets are our members and volunteers as well as our supporters and donors. He was a believer in unwavering inclusiveness. He valued the diversity in talent and experience and he believed in positive change and growth.
Homenetmen Western US Region, its Councils, and Committees as well as its Chapters all mourn the loss of Yegh. Steve Artinian. Our prayers go out to his wife, his family, his friends, and to
his Homenetmen brothers and sisters from around the world. May he forever rest in peace, and may God bless his soul, and provide patience and perseverance to his loved ones through these difficult times.
In memory of the inimitable and beloved Chair of our 46th Navasartian Victory Ball Committee, our very own “Ardagark” Homenetmen Medal recipient Yeghpayr Steve Artinian’s untimely and heartbreaking passing, we bow in gratitude for his decades of selfless service and embodiment of the principle of “ Elevate Yourself and Elevate Others with You”. We, the Homenetmen Western United States Region FAMILY, mourn Yeghpayr Steve’s loss, and in his memory, we have resolved and thus hereby, unanimously, announce our decision to cancel the 2023 Victory Ball, which was scheduled to be held on Sunday, July 2, 2023, at Beverly Hills Hotel. May God bless our beloved Yeghpayr Steve’s soul.
