Harry Harootunian

HAROOTUNIAN

Harry, age 99, of Bryn Mawr, PA, died peacefully on August 31, 2024, surrounded by his family at Merrill Gardens in Glen Mills, where he lived since early 2023.

Harry truly lived for his family and friends. He also enjoyed politics and current events along with sports including thoroughbred horse racing, Penn State and Eagles football, and Flyers hockey. He was proud to have been named an honorary Past Master for the Jenks Masonic Lodge in Providence, Rhode Island.

Harry was born in Pawtucket, RI to immigrants who found refuge in the US following the Armenian genocide. He spent much of his childhood in Massachusetts and Philadelphia where he was raised by his aunts, Aghavny, Makrouhi, and Zabel, and became a brother to his cousins, Shant, Harry and Zeke, after losing his mother at an early age.

Harry joined the Navy at age 17 where he proudly served in WWII as Radioman Third Class on two destroyers in the North Atlantic until the war ended.

After his service, he earned a degree in Accounting from Bryant University in Providence, RI and began his career at the accounting firm Alexander Grant in Philadelphia. He later worked as Operations Manager at family-owned Raymond Rosen & Co. in Philadelphia and The Camera Shop Inc. in Broomall, where he was both a trusted advisor and family friend.

Harry met his wife Joan, the mother of their children Lee and Lauren, while working at Raymond Rosen. After Joan’s passing in 1991, he was fortunate to meet his partner Terri Cochran who shared her life until her passing in 2003.

Harry lovingly supported his son, Lee, helping to parent his three children after their mother Suzanne’s untimely passing.

He was predeceased by his wife, Joan Lois (nee Welker), partner Teresa Cochran (nee Lyczak), his parents, Vartoohee (nee Karagulian) and Levon Harootunian, his brothers, Shant and Berj, and daughter-in-law, Suzanne (nee O’Neill).

Harry is survived by his two children, Lee (Linda Povey) and Lauren Otis (Dwight), and his five grandchildren, Corbin, Connor and Kristen Harootunian, Derek Otis, and Ting Durrans.

Relatives & friends are invited to a Visitation on Monday, September 16th 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM followed by his Funeral Service 11:00 AM ALL IN CHURCH at St Alban’s Episcopal Church 3625 Chapel Rd, Newtown Square, PA 19073. Interment will follow at Birmingham Lafayette Cemetery in West Chester.

Contributions in Harry’s memory may be made to Shriners Children’s Hospital Philadelphia at https://donate.lovetotherescue.org

To send flowers to the family or place a tree in memory of Harry Harootunian, please visit our Tribute Store.