John H. Malconian

WESTBROOK – John H. Malconian died peacefully Friday, March 20, 2020 at his home. John was the son of the late John O. and Yertchanig Malconian, survivors of the Armenian Genocide. He was born on July 4, 1930 in Portland. He grew up in the West End of Portland, attended local schools, and graduated from Portland High School, class of 1950. While still in high school, he was proud that he and fellow students volunteered in The Great Fires of 1947. John enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve while still in high school, and he was called to active duty in June 1950 at the start of the Korean War. After active duty, he served for many years in the Marine Corps Reserves. He became founding Commandant of the Marine Corps League, in the Weeman detachment of Greater Portland in the 1960s. He enjoyed playing Santa Claus in the League’s Toys for Tots campaign. After military service, John worked with his father in the family grocery business, Malconian’s Market. For a short time, he worked at Foden Inc. and Haverty Buick before opening a new grocery business, also named Malconian’s Market on the corner of Clark and Danforth St. in Portland, where he worked until he retired. He served his beloved City of Portland by volunteering his time to the West End Development, Model Cities, and the Portland Housing Authority. John never forgot that his parents escaped to this country from the Genocide of 1.5 million Armenians in Turkey. He initiated the first proclamation from the State of Maine to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide of 1915. He continued to pursue the proclamation as a proud member of the Armenian Cultural Association of Maine until its passage in 2012. John’s efforts contributed to the creation of the Armenian Genocide Memorial monument on the corner of Cumberland Ave. and Franklin St., where many Armenian immigrants settled in Portland’s Bayside Community. John enjoyed his later years meeting with his friends “The Boys” at Tony’s Donuts and McDonald’s. He also enjoyed solving word problems. He was very active in the Portland High School reunion committee up until this year. Most important to John, were the family gatherings that were the center of his heart. John was predeceased by his beloved sister, Helen (Malconian) Shahtanian. He is survived by his brother, Robert (Josephine) Malconian of Portland, his sister, Kathryn Malconian-Evert (Thomas) of Florida; his nephews, Richard (Karen) Shahtanian, and John A. Malconian, his nieces Susan (Michael) Guzelian, Andrea Malconian and Sara Durgerian; several great nieces and a nephew. In consideration of current events, there will be a private service for the family. A public memorial gathering will be announced at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of the Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Home of Portland. To view John’s memorial page or to share an online condolence please visit www.ConroyTullyWalker.com In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: St. Gregory ArmenianApostolic Church ofMerrimack Valley158 Main St.North Andover, MA 01845OrCamp Haiastan P.O. Box CFranklin, MA 02038