Lawrence "Larry" Der Hagopian

Lawrence (Larry) Der Hagopian passed peacefully from this life to life eternal on Wednesday, December 27, 2017, in the comfort of his home and family.  Born two months before the Great Depression, he was the son of the late Vartoohy and Serope Der Hagopian, joining an older brother and sister, both of whom are deceased.  He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Jeanette; his children Gena (Kim) Willard, Toleen (Andre) Farah, and Larry D. (Kimberly) Der Hagopian; and granddaughters Alexa and Liana Farah.

After serving his active duty in Spokane, WA, he returned to become a member the PA Air National Guard and served for almost forty years, reaching the rank of Chief Master Sergeant.  He also worked full-time for the Guard for all those years and retired at the mandatory age of 60. For most of his long and distinguished career, he served at the Willow Grove Naval Air Station with the Civil Engineering Squadron. 

He was a lifelong member of the Holy Trinity Armenian Church and served in many various leadership capacities for almost forty-five years.  He was also a founding member of the Philadelphia Armenian-American Veterans Association.  He was very proud of his Armenian heritage and used every opportunity to share the history of Armenia.with those who had not heard about this small country.

Larry was the ultimate handyman and could fix most things. He loved cooking and especially grilling year-round, whether at home or at a church function.  If he could help out a friend or family member, he was there.  He was a devotee of western and war movies; loved challenging friends and family to a game of backgammon, in which he excelled; and solving Sudoku puzzles, which he did in record time.

Relatives and friends will be received at 9:30 am until 11:00 am at which time his funeral service will take place on Tuesday, January 2, 2018 at Holy Trinity Armenian Church, 101 Ashmead Road, Cheltenham, PA 19012.  Interment will be private.

In-lieu-of-flower donations to the above-named church would be greatly appreciated.

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