VARTKES DER GARABEDIAN

Yeghpayr Vartkes Der Garabedian was the first Chairman of the Central Executive of Homenetmen and the chief architect of the organization’s pan‑community structure.

He was born in Beirut in 1928. In his youth, he joined Beirut’s basketball team, becoming one of its best athletes.

As a skilled committee member, Yeghpayr Vartkes frequently participated in Homenetmen Middle East General Assemblies, always representing Lebanon. In 1973, he was part of the special committee tasked with transforming Homenetmen into a pan‑community organization. Later, in 1974, 1979, and 1983, he was elected to the Central Executive Committee, and as Chairman he capably led Homenetmen’s work until his martyrdom on January 31, 1986, when, together with Levon Berberian and Nerses Khudaverdian, he fell victim in Beirut to a disgraceful crime perpetrated by the enemies of the Armenian people.

During his 12 years as Chairman, Yeghpayr Vardges spared no effort to lay strong foundations for Homenetmen’s pan‑community structure. He visited regions as a traveling representative of the Central Executive. With meticulous dedication and deep faith, he took part in organizing all pan‑Homenetmen initiatives.

Alongside his Homenetmen activity, Yeghpayr Vardges also had rich national and social involvement, serving as Secretary of the National Political Assembly of the Catholicosate of Cilicia and as a longtime member of the ARF (Armenian Revolutionary Federation) Central Committee of Lebanon.

Posthumously, on November 14, 2008, the Central Executive awarded him Homenetmen’s highest honor, the “Merit” medal.