George H. Terhanian

George Harry Terhanian, 89, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 19, 2018 with family by his side.

George, a middle son, was born on June 11, 1929 in Philadelphia to Harry and Elizabeth Terhanian, immigrants from Armenia.  Following in his older brother Daniel’s footsteps, George graduated from Germantown High School, where he played football, before serving abroad for the US Army in the Korean War.

On October 2, 1960, he married his longtime love, Jean Gazarian, in Philadelphia, where they resided for the rest of their lives. 

An independent businessman, George, along with his brother Daniel, owned Betty’s Market and the Dugout sandwich shop, commercial and social hubs for decades in the Germantown section of Philadelphia.   

George was a longtime member, past president, and passionate supporter of the Camden-Philadelphia (Cam-Phi) Armenian sports organization; a loyal member of St. Gregory’s Men’s Club; and a founding member of PAND (Philadelphia Armenia Nor Daree), an organization created to promote cultural and social unity among Armenians in the greater Philadelphia area.

George immensely enjoyed spending time with his children, grandchildren, and many friends whenever he could.  He also loved any type of competition, not to separate winners from losers, but to bring and bond people together. 

He is survived by his two children, Lisa Heaton (Jeffrey) of Lafayette Hill, PA, and George (Oppie) Terhanian of New York City, NY; his two grandchildren, Jordan and Ryan Heaton; his younger brother, Harry Terhanian of Redmond, WA; and his cousin, Helene Terhanian, of New York City.  George’s parents, Harry and Elizabeth, his brother, Daniel, and his beloved wife of 52 years, Jean, preceded him in death

Family and friends may call on Wednesday, October 24th, at 10:00 AM, with his funeral service to follow at 11:00 AM, at St. Gregory’s Armenian Apostolic Church, 8701 Ridge Pike, Philadelphia, PA, 19128.  He will be laid to rest at West Laurel Hill Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Gregory’s.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of George H. Terhanian, please visit our floral store.