In Memoriam The Rev. Fr. Haroutiun Dagley (1956 - 2002)

The Primate and Diocesan Council of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, as well as the Parish Council of the St. Gregory of Narek Armenian Church of Cleveland, OH, deeply regret to announce the untimely passing of the Rev. Fr. Haroutiun Dagley.

The young and beloved pastor of the St. Gregory of Narek Church of Cleveland, OH, died suddenly on Tuesday, September 17. He is survived by his wife, Yeretzgin Patricia Dagley, and two young children, Sona and Sarkis; also by his mother, Diramayr Haigo Dagley, a brother Nishan and sister Anita.

Donations may be made out to the "St. Gregory of Narek Church, Memo: Fr. Haroutiun Dagley Memorial Family Fund," and sent directly to Cleveland's St. Gregory of Narek Church (678 Richmond Road, Richmond Heights, OH 44143).

Born Randolph Haig Dagley in Boston, 1956, to Wallace and Haigo Dagley, Fr. Haroutiun was the youngest of three children, with a brother Nishan and a sister Anita. He was baptized as an infant in the Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Cambridge, MA, by the Rev. Fr. Papken Maksoudian.

He grew up attending Baptist and Congregational church Sunday schools, but became involved in the Armenian Church at the age of 19, when the ACYOA Seniors of the Sts. Vartanantz chapter in Chelmsford, MA, were seeking help in their preparations to host the 1976 Sports Weekend. Later he became involved in counseling ACYOA retreats and taught high school track and field.

Fr. Haroutiun studied at Southeastern Massachusetts University and received a bachelor's degree in management. He then worked in hotels in various capacities. But a persistent calling to serve God in some way led him down a different path.

At first, he considered becoming a Protestant minister, and entered Andover Newton Theological School, where he earned a master of divinity degree in 1989. But he found himself increasingly drawn to his Armenian heritage, and directed his attention, in formal and informal ways, to deepening his understanding and appreciation of the Armenian Church.

Ultimately, Fr. Haroutiun made the decision to become a pastor of the Armenian Church, and began the period of training that would lead to his ordination into the sacred priesthood.

     He began working at St. James Church of Watertown, MA, as youth director, while working there he also served as the part-time New England regional youth director. While there, in 1989, he married Patricia Ann Anahid Sarkisian. They were blessed with two children, Sona and Sarkis.

After four years at St. James, Fr. Haroutiun went to study at the Patriarchate of Jerusalem for 10 months. Returning to the United States, he began serving in the Church of our Saviour in Worcester, MA, as assistant to the pastor while studying at St. Nersess Seminary.

Ordained a priest by Archbishop Khajag Barsamian on February 4, 1996, Fr. Haroutiun served in St. George Church in Waukegan, IL, until 1999, when he began serving at St. Gregory of Narek in Cleveland, OH.

Fr. Haroutiun served on the Diocesan Council, and was the Diocesan representative to the Eco-Justice Working Group Environmental Task Force of the National Council of Churches of Christ. Along with serving St. Gregory of Narek, he was the visiting pastor to mission parishes in Columbus, OH, and Erie, PA; and had just completed his first summer as director of Midwest Regional Hye-Camp. He was also treasurer of the Clergy Assistance Fund.

As a priest, Fr. Haroutiun took every aspect of his vocation with the utmost seriousness. He was charmingly candid about the love for God which motivated his ministry; about his pride in the great figures who had shaped Armenia's Christian tradition; and about his own feelings of humble responsibility for transmitting that holy heritage to another generation. He found his deepest joy in helping others, whether as a pastor or simply as a friend. He was fortunate to share his life of ministry, its blessings as well as its burdens, with a loving and supportive wife and family.

We convey our deepest sympathies to Fr. Haroutiun's family, his flock, his brothers in Christ, and to the many souls he touched during his all too brief ministry. He was a true pastor to his people, and our church is poorer for having lost Fr. Haroutiun's warm humanity, his sense of humor, and his inexhaustible enthusiasm for his vocation. May he rest in peace with our Lord, whom he served so devotedly in life.          

The Rev. Fr. Haroutiun Dagley, of blessed memory, late pastor of the St. Gregory of Narek Church of Cleveland, OH.