The past few months Haig fought the good fight and is now with his beloved Arous. I have been reflecting on Alex and Chris and the sorrow of losing their father as he was such a presence in their lives – very difficult on the deeper things of the heart. He was a “bigger than life” father, and friend to so many. I have been reflecting on Haig and my memories that I hold dear to my heart about him and my relationship with him.
I first met Haig in New York City. He was 59 years old and we went to dinner at the Tribeca Grill and had a lovely evening and when we were going to get our coats he took me aside and said, “They are very much in love; I can see. But, you know – they are too young to get married?” I have to say his comment took me by surprise! He was dressed so dapper with an ascot and hat and I thought what an interesting, unique Dad Alex has! I found him charming and full of life and enthusiasm!
Another memory is going to the Whitney Museum with Chris and Alex and the way they laughed with him and played around and took his hat off his head – going from room to room enjoying every minute of being together. I thought wow these Armenian boys sure adore their father!
When Alex and Emily got married in 2010, he came with Eleni and stayed on Long Beach Island and we gave him the tour of Steve’s architectural projects and told him about my father’s real estate adventures and experience as a builder in the 1980s. Haig was always generally interested in other people and such a great communicator which I pray his granddaughters will carry on. He sure loved real estate and discussing development.
In NYC he set up the wedding rehearsal at a very trendy Greek restaurant and we were able to meet the extended family for the first time. I have to say I have been to a lot of weddings in my lifetime but I never saw the father of the groom so ecstatic and enjoying himself to the absolute fullest! The Thalassa Greek restaurant in Tribeca was the perfect wedding venue for him and the Armenian Orthodox church service was such a blessing. I have pictures of him doing the Greek dancing with the handkerchief and he said to me on the dance floor, “This is a glorious moment in time.” I will never forget that statement and I think of it often. He knew how relish and live in the moment.
The next day at the Greenwich Hotel where we stayed, he said, “I want you to come to Greece next summer and we will have a second celebration there for all the people who couldn’t come to NYC.” I had never been to Greece and had no idea what to expect – we arrived and were ushered to the luxury Pentelikon Hotel in Kifissia which Haig generously set up for us and we spent days touring Athens, and then on to Nafplio with Dino and Nita and Greg to Kandia’s Castle Hotel, another luxury resort. I remember pulling up at the resort and Chris saying, “Dad, we are in a depression here in Greece and this is where we are staying?” We were laughing so hard.
Haig’s driving was quite spectacular I heard as Steve drove with him and I was in the car behind with Dino, Nita and Eleni laughing the whole way because Dino is so hilarious commenting about Haig’s erratic driving!
Haig orchestrated another wedding larger than our wedding in NYC and every detail was superb. He arranged for a hairstylist and makeup artist to take care of us. He had us sitting at the table with the ambassador to Greece from England and Armenia – what a memorable night – dancing and that huge wedding cake!
In 2013, Haig came to our home in Naples, Florida and we had our wine on the beach watching the sunset. My sister’s daughter, Lauren, came over and we had dinner at Chop’s steakhouse one night and dancing at the Irish pub. Haig knew how to thoroughly enjoy life and savored the memorable times. While in Naples I remember him saying to Emily and Alex one day at the house, “Soon you will have children and then a house in Wimbledon!” I don’t think Alex and Emily cared for that statement at the time! Haig was such a generous man and always made you feel very special.
After Ellie was born he had a party outside at one of the pubs near the Leather Lane house and invited the cousins and friends to celebrate the birth of Ellie Arous. I remember him bringing a card to Emily at the hospital and signed it Haig and Arous. Haig was such a loyal devoted man and every year the family met to celebrate their mother and remember her life. I was always so impressed by this ritual.
When Anne Robyn was born I was in London visiting and Haig said, “I want to take you to Whitechapel to see the project”. He was very proud of the project and we rode the top deck of the bus, just the two of us, and Haig gave me a British history lesson the whole way – he knew so much, pointing out every site that had been bombed and all the particulars. He adored Churchill – “Never give up” was his motto. I thought at the time I hope he teaches his granddaughters British history one day. I toured an apartment at Whitechapel and then we rode the bus back – he wanted an ” English Breakfast” which Emily made him. He seemed to love Emily’s cooking and she would make him his favorite beef stew when he visited.
On that trip, he told me he was getting older and probably wouldn’t be traveling as much in the future but we agreed we would do another trip with him. Then the pandemic hit, and we never got to go on that trip.
There are not many “old school gentlemen” in this world anymore and I count myself fortunate to have been able to know Haig and have his son Alex as my son-in-law.