Journalist Oshin Keshishian dies at 91

Oshin Keshishian, a veteran journalist and founder of the Armenian Observer weekly newspaper, has died at the age of 91.

Keshishian founded the Armenian Observer in 1969 and served as its editor-in-chief. Commonly known simply as the Observer, the English-language weekly enriched the Armenian media landscape and became an important part of community life by offering much-needed perspectives on issues affecting Armenian Americans.

Keshishian was born in Jerusalem and attended the Holy Translators School there until 1948. Following the outbreak of the Arab-Israeli War, his family moved to Jordan and relocated to Beirut a year later.
In 1955, Keshishian graduated from the Armenian General Benevolent Union’s Hovagimian-Manoogian Boys’ School. He studied at the American University of Beirut for one year before emigrating to the United States and settling in California.

Keshishian taught in the Languages Department at Los Angeles City College and later served on the faculty of Glendale Community College for 27 years.

He was a board member of the Tekeyan Cultural Association of the United States and Canada. For many years, he also served on the board of trustees of the association’s Arshag Dickranian School in Los Angeles.

In 1982, Keshishian was entrusted with transporting the remains of renowned writer William Saroyan to Yerevan, Armenia.

Keshishian was awarded the Order of St. Sahak and St. Mesrop and received a pontifical encyclical from the late Catholicos of All Armenians Vazgen I.