David Berberian Sr.

David Berberian passed into the GLORY of the LORD on Wednesday, February 18, in the early evening. He passed quickly in his sleep, peacefully, without illness or stress. For this day, he was well prepared, strengthening himself daily in the truths of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, relying on the salvation of His Name.

The Funeral Service for David will begin at 10:00 a.m. Friday, February 27, 2026, at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home Chapel, 7405 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas, TX 75225. The committal service and reception will follow the service, also at Sparkman/Hillcrest. The funeral service will be livestreamed and can be viewed at: https://youtube.com/live/qnCIwnC0PsU

David Berberian was born March 30, 1935, in Larnaca, Cyprus. He was the son of Armenian refugees, from the decaying Ottoman Empire, present day Turkey. His family and village had survived massacre during the Armenian Genocide during the First World War through the intervention of German missionaries but was forced to flee the subsequent massacres after the war. Cyprus, a British possession, became the safe haven for his parents Hovannes and Mariam to rebuild their lives.

David had four siblings: sisters Zarouhi and Kohar and brothers Karnig and Roupen. All attended and graduated from the American Academy of Larnaca, run by Presbyterian missionaries, the Weirs. This school was instrumental in shaping their futures by giving them a solid education, a grounding in English, and exposure to other languages. David also began his early work in bookkeeping while working with the school office. He was active in basketball.

His time in Cyprus was happy - working part time for merchants, spending time with friends, and swimming. He immigrated to the United States in 1955 and attended NYU in New York, followed by Indiana University where he finished with top marks in accounting. His Indiana education was interrupted by a real life scare with tuberculosis and he was grateful to the National Jewish Hospital for saving his life over a 9-month period. He remained an ardent donor to the hospital for his entire life.

His professional career began with Arthur Young in New York City, where he met his wife Glyssie in 1960. They married in 1963 and had three children: David Jr., John, and Richard. David continued his career with Peat Marwick Mitchell (later KPMG) in Houston where his specialization in international taxation of oil and gas took him to clients all over the US and also to Europe. This culminated in a move to Germany in 1979 where he set up the German tax practice in this area, relating particularly to the emerging North Sea oil at that time. Here the family developed deep friendships with German neighbors and colleagues that continued for the rest of his life. He moved the family back to Dallas in 1983, working with KPMG until going into private practice in 1991. He kept practicing into his 89th year when he finally retired.

He loved his family and friends. He was active in a Bible Study and enjoyed entertaining visiting missionaries. He was active in funding local and overseas missions work. He enjoyed fine restaurants, socializing with a group of fellow wine connoisseurs, and for a time was an ardent member of the Dallas Symphony Guild. He was a member and sometime treasurer of St Sarkis Armenian Church and a keen supporter of Grace Church Lake Highlands.

He is survived by his wife, Glyssie; his sons, David (Loucine), John (Ender), and Richard (Anne); to his grandchildren, Mariam, Siran, David, Eva, Margaret, John, Daniel, Deborah, Timothy, and Wilfred; his brother, Roupen and sister-in-law, Sally; and numerous nieces and nephews.

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It is in times like this that we are comforted by our Lord's words, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in Me, though he may die, yet shall he live." - John 11:25