Paul Hogroian

Paul Hogroian was the youngest of three children, born March 5, 1929, to Arsen and Varsenig Hogroian, of Bronx, New York. Paul earned a degree in chemical engineering from the City College of New York. A wintertime photo of the gateway to the campus, with its distinctive Gothic architecture draped in snow, was one of the many pictures he kept on his wall.

Paul earned a Master of Nuclear Engineering degree from Catholic University, where he also pursued doctoral studies. He served in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps stateside during the Korean War, rising to the level of captain. He worked for Mobil and DuPont before moving to the D.C. area to work as an engineer for The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.

In 1961 he was married to Fernanda Elinco Zegel, who predeceased him in 1988. In 1976, with Fernanda and their four young children, Paul moved to Paris, to serve as the principal administrator for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. After three years, the family returned to the U.S.

Paul worked as an administrator for the U.S. Department of Energy from 1979-1983, and then was appointed director of planning at the Office of Naval Research in Arlington, Va., from 1984-1990. For his distinguished service at ONR, he was awarded the U.S. Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Medal.

After retiring from the government, Paul continued to apply his extensive engineering and analytical skills, working in his own firm, consulting for SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation), and sharing his expertise as an adjunct professor for Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Paul shared his late wife's love of art and gardening. Throughout his life, he would occasionally draw caricatures and cartoons, and enjoyed sketching and painting from photos and landscapes in his senior years. He also enjoyed sailing.

Paul is survived by his four children: Paulette Feeser of Vienna, Va.; Paul R. Hogroian, of Falls Church, Va.; Ferdinand S. Hogroian, of Fairfax; and Ferdinanda Florence, of Fairfield, Calif.; and seven grandchildren.

Family and close friends will gather on Friday, January 11, at 10:00 a.m., at the Demaine Funeral Home, 10565 Main St., Fairfax, VA 22030, and proceed to the graveside service at Oakwood Cemetery in Falls Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Armenian Museum of America in Watertown, MA: . https://www.armenianmuseum.org/giving-to-the-museum/ .