Leon Kouyoumjian

Leon Kouyoumjian, 73, of Willington, CT, passed away on the morning of Monday, November 9, 2009, after a three-month struggle against an extremely aggressive brain cancer. Born Leon V. Kouyoumjian in Greenwich Village, N.Y., he was the son of Leon and Rose (nAC.e Menassian) Kouyoumjian, who immigrated to the United States to escape the Armenian Genocide in 1915. Leon graduated with a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J., in 1957 and went on to earn his MBA from the University of Hartford in 1968. For 30 years, Leon worked as an aeronautical engineer at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in East Hartford, CT, before retiring in 1991 when he began to really enjoy life, traveling with his wife, Mary Ann, to many countries, as distant as Japan, as exotic as Egypt and as close to home as Mexico. During retirement, Leon also adopted a passion for art, particularly painting, and studied art history for over a year to become a docent for the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, CT, leading educational tours for children and adults, for 15 years, as of May 2009. Leon appreciated painting as an artist, as well, and the walls of his home are hung with portraits, landscapes and still-life paintings that attest to his skill. Leon also enjoyed horticulture and soon became a certified Master Gardener, volunteering his time to pass his knowledge on to others who strived for a green thumb as well. Extending his time in the outdoors, Leon and his wife joined the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), where he was an avid hike leader for the East of the River AMC chapter. For many years, Leon also served on the Board of Trustees for the Tolland Agricultural Center in Vernon, CT. He recently joined the Lion's Club of Mansfield, but his participation was interrupted by the invasive disease that took his life. Leon was predeceased by his sister Lucille Witz of New York, and his parents Rose and Leon Kouyoumjian, Sr. He will be especially missed by his devoted wife of 49 years, Mary Ann; his son, Adam, of Frisco, TX, and his wife, Jessica; his two beautiful and adored grandchildren, Ahni Hope and Brady Logan; his daughter, Victoria, of Redlands, CA, and her husband, Nicholas Frunzi; and his brother, Walter, of Boston, MA. The family of Leon Kouyoumjian will receive relatives and friends on Saturday Nov. 14th between 1:00 and 3:00 pm at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson Street (Route 195), Willimantic, CT. To sign the online memorial guestbook, share a few thoughts, and find directions to the funeral home, please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com . Memorial donations may be made to the AGBU (Armenian General Benevolent Union) c/o the "Levon and Vartoohi Kouyoumjian Memorial Fund for Medical Research", 55 East 59th Street, New York, NY, 10022.