Advertisement

Dr Narbey Khachaturian

Advertisement

Dr Narbey Khachaturian

Birth
Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Death
14 May 2009 (aged 85)
Urbana, Champaign County, Illinois, USA
Burial
Philo, Champaign County, Illinois, USA GPS-Latitude: 40.0033569, Longitude: -88.1636914
Plot
Section 125
Memorial ID
View Source
Narbey Khachaturian, age 85, of Philo passed away at 9:45 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, 2009, at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.

Memorial services will be at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 17, 2009 at Meadowbrook Community Church, 1902 S. Duncan Road, Champaign. Pastor Ron Strack will officiate. Visitation will be from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday at the church.

Dr. Khachaturian was born Jan. 12, 1924, a son of Moses and Takouhi Khachaturian. He married Margaret Miles on Jan. 26, 1952, in Akron, Ohio. She survives.

Also surviving are his children, Greg Khachaturian, Jon (Bobbi) Khachaturian, Mary (Bill) Thrift, all of New Orleans, and Steve (Janet) Khachaturian of Champaign; grandchildren, Matthew Khachaturian of Houston, Sara Khachaturian, Bethany Khachaturian, Michael Thrift, David Thrift, Steven Thrift, all of New Orleans, Nathaniel Khachaturian, Christian Khachaturian, Benjamin Khachaturian and Grace Khachaturian, all of Champaign; and siblings, Arek Khachaturian (Diane) of Beverly Hills, Mich., and Juliet Ter-Sarkissian of Paris, France.

After being accepted at the University of Illinois as a civil engineering undergraduate, he left his home in Tehran and embarked for the United States on Dec. 7, 1944, about five weeks before his 21st birthday.

Going from his home to San Pedro, Calif., during wartime took Khachaturian more than four months and necessitated several delays and changes to his initial travel plans along the way. He traveled by plane, train and ship, and his journey took him across the Indian and Pacific oceans by way of Baghdad and Basra, Iraq; Kuwait; Bahrain, Bushire, Iran; Sharjah, now part of the federation of seven United Arab Emirates; Bandar Abbas, Iran; the Indian cities of Karachi, Lahore, New Delhi and Bombay; Melbourne, Australia; and Noumea, New Caledonia. He viewed some of those cities only from the deck of a ship. In other places, he was delayed unexpectedly for indefinite periods of time and forced to revise his travel plans.

On one stretch of the journey, Khachaturian traveled as a deck passenger on a British freighter, sleeping on the deck because the cabins were full. After a few rainy, uncomfortable nights, he and a fellow deck passenger were able to make a deal with the ship’s cook, who allowed them to sleep in a lounge in exchange for 15 cents per person, per night. He turned 21 on the ship, but was too uncomfortable in the austere conditions to feel like celebrating the occasion. At another point, Khachaturian had to spend six weeks in Bombay waiting for passage to America on some unspecified date in the future. During this time, he occupied himself by embarking on a self-taught course in Chinese.

In mid-March 1945, Khachaturian was accepted as a passenger on the American troop ship, the USS General Mann, which was returning to the United States from its maiden voyage. “The total population was estimated to be about 6,000,” Khachaturian wrote later. “In addition to American enlisted men and officers, there were Australian, New Zealand and Chinese military personnel plus the civilians in our compartment representing many nations. We were told that the Australians and New Zealanders were returning from the Italian campaign and Chinese military personnel were traveling to the United States for special training.”

Obliged to travel in a zig-zag pattern to reduce vulnerability to torpedo attacks by submarines, the ship took approximately one month to make its way to California by way of Australia. Passengers had to observe a complete blackout after sundown and were forbidden to drop anything overboard, even a matchstick, because of the fear it could give away the ship’s location. They wore life jackets at all times and participated in daily abandon ship drills. Khachaturian recalls learning of the death of President Roosevelt on April 12, 1945. Of his arrival April 15, 1945, Khachaturian wrote, “The 129-day trip from Tehran had come to an end. After being on the U.S.S General Mann for 33 days, it was a good feeling to walk on solid ground again. It was an even better feeling to send a telegram home saying, “arrived safely.”

In the weeks following his arrival in California, Khachaturian made the cross-country trip to Champaign-Urbana by train.

Dr. Khachaturian received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D degrees in civil engineering from the University of Illinois, working as a teaching assistant, instructor and graduate student under Professor T. C. Shedd. He joined the department of civil engineering at the U of I as a faculty member in 1952 as an assistant professor, and became full professor in 1960.

Professor Khachaturian held the part-time post of assistant dean of engineering in the college of engineering in 1979-80 and assumed the role of associate head of the department of civil engineering in 1983, a post he held until his retirement in 1989.

As an educator, Dr. Khachaturian demonstrated a tremendous commitment to student affairs. He was the adviser to numerous undergraduate and graduate students and the mentor of 18 doctoral students. His first doctoral student, Fazlur Kahn, went on to build the Sears Tower.

Khachaturian served as faculty adviser to Chi Epsilon, the civil engineering honorary, and received the ASCE Outstanding Teacher Award twice. His research and consultation focused primarily on pre-stressed and reinforced concrete structures, structural optimization and failure analysis (forensic engineering). He authored or co-authored 25 formal technical publications including one textbook on pre-stressed concrete design.

Professor Khachaturian was very active in ASCE throughout his career. He was a leader in the Central Illinois section, was a member of the Committee on Educational Research and the structural division Committee on Optimization of Structures. He was one of the principal founders of the Technical Council on Forensic Engineering in 1982 and served as chair of its executive, education and member education committees. He was active in ACI and the American Society for Engineering Education and was a member of NSPE. He was a strong supporter of the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois as a director and as president.

His honors include the Epstein Award, the Outstanding Teacher ASCE Student Chapter Award, the John Parmer Award of the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois, the Halliburton Award for Engineering Education leadership, the Harold T. Larsen Award of Chi Epsilon and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the ASCE Illinois Section. Just two weeks ago, Dr. Khachaturian took part in the Chi Epsilon Induction Ceremonies with his U of I civil engineer son Jon and his U of I civil engineer grandson Matthew.

In all of his endeavors, Dr. Khachaturian demonstrated the highest standards of professionalism and set professional standards of excellence that serve as a lasting model for students and faculty alike.

He was raised in the Armenian Orthodox Faith and throughout his life, was active in Christian Ministries.

Memorial contributions may be made to the University of Illinois Foundation CEE Trust-Khachaturian Memorial, in care of John Kelley, University of Illinois CEE, 205 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801.

Narbey Khachaturian, age 85, of Philo passed away at 9:45 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, 2009, at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.

Memorial services will be at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 17, 2009 at Meadowbrook Community Church, 1902 S. Duncan Road, Champaign. Pastor Ron Strack will officiate. Visitation will be from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday at the church.

Dr. Khachaturian was born Jan. 12, 1924, a son of Moses and Takouhi Khachaturian. He married Margaret Miles on Jan. 26, 1952, in Akron, Ohio. She survives.

Also surviving are his children, Greg Khachaturian, Jon (Bobbi) Khachaturian, Mary (Bill) Thrift, all of New Orleans, and Steve (Janet) Khachaturian of Champaign; grandchildren, Matthew Khachaturian of Houston, Sara Khachaturian, Bethany Khachaturian, Michael Thrift, David Thrift, Steven Thrift, all of New Orleans, Nathaniel Khachaturian, Christian Khachaturian, Benjamin Khachaturian and Grace Khachaturian, all of Champaign; and siblings, Arek Khachaturian (Diane) of Beverly Hills, Mich., and Juliet Ter-Sarkissian of Paris, France.

After being accepted at the University of Illinois as a civil engineering undergraduate, he left his home in Tehran and embarked for the United States on Dec. 7, 1944, about five weeks before his 21st birthday.

Going from his home to San Pedro, Calif., during wartime took Khachaturian more than four months and necessitated several delays and changes to his initial travel plans along the way. He traveled by plane, train and ship, and his journey took him across the Indian and Pacific oceans by way of Baghdad and Basra, Iraq; Kuwait; Bahrain, Bushire, Iran; Sharjah, now part of the federation of seven United Arab Emirates; Bandar Abbas, Iran; the Indian cities of Karachi, Lahore, New Delhi and Bombay; Melbourne, Australia; and Noumea, New Caledonia. He viewed some of those cities only from the deck of a ship. In other places, he was delayed unexpectedly for indefinite periods of time and forced to revise his travel plans.

On one stretch of the journey, Khachaturian traveled as a deck passenger on a British freighter, sleeping on the deck because the cabins were full. After a few rainy, uncomfortable nights, he and a fellow deck passenger were able to make a deal with the ship’s cook, who allowed them to sleep in a lounge in exchange for 15 cents per person, per night. He turned 21 on the ship, but was too uncomfortable in the austere conditions to feel like celebrating the occasion. At another point, Khachaturian had to spend six weeks in Bombay waiting for passage to America on some unspecified date in the future. During this time, he occupied himself by embarking on a self-taught course in Chinese.

In mid-March 1945, Khachaturian was accepted as a passenger on the American troop ship, the USS General Mann, which was returning to the United States from its maiden voyage. “The total population was estimated to be about 6,000,” Khachaturian wrote later. “In addition to American enlisted men and officers, there were Australian, New Zealand and Chinese military personnel plus the civilians in our compartment representing many nations. We were told that the Australians and New Zealanders were returning from the Italian campaign and Chinese military personnel were traveling to the United States for special training.”

Obliged to travel in a zig-zag pattern to reduce vulnerability to torpedo attacks by submarines, the ship took approximately one month to make its way to California by way of Australia. Passengers had to observe a complete blackout after sundown and were forbidden to drop anything overboard, even a matchstick, because of the fear it could give away the ship’s location. They wore life jackets at all times and participated in daily abandon ship drills. Khachaturian recalls learning of the death of President Roosevelt on April 12, 1945. Of his arrival April 15, 1945, Khachaturian wrote, “The 129-day trip from Tehran had come to an end. After being on the U.S.S General Mann for 33 days, it was a good feeling to walk on solid ground again. It was an even better feeling to send a telegram home saying, “arrived safely.”

In the weeks following his arrival in California, Khachaturian made the cross-country trip to Champaign-Urbana by train.

Dr. Khachaturian received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D degrees in civil engineering from the University of Illinois, working as a teaching assistant, instructor and graduate student under Professor T. C. Shedd. He joined the department of civil engineering at the U of I as a faculty member in 1952 as an assistant professor, and became full professor in 1960.

Professor Khachaturian held the part-time post of assistant dean of engineering in the college of engineering in 1979-80 and assumed the role of associate head of the department of civil engineering in 1983, a post he held until his retirement in 1989.

As an educator, Dr. Khachaturian demonstrated a tremendous commitment to student affairs. He was the adviser to numerous undergraduate and graduate students and the mentor of 18 doctoral students. His first doctoral student, Fazlur Kahn, went on to build the Sears Tower.

Khachaturian served as faculty adviser to Chi Epsilon, the civil engineering honorary, and received the ASCE Outstanding Teacher Award twice. His research and consultation focused primarily on pre-stressed and reinforced concrete structures, structural optimization and failure analysis (forensic engineering). He authored or co-authored 25 formal technical publications including one textbook on pre-stressed concrete design.

Professor Khachaturian was very active in ASCE throughout his career. He was a leader in the Central Illinois section, was a member of the Committee on Educational Research and the structural division Committee on Optimization of Structures. He was one of the principal founders of the Technical Council on Forensic Engineering in 1982 and served as chair of its executive, education and member education committees. He was active in ACI and the American Society for Engineering Education and was a member of NSPE. He was a strong supporter of the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois as a director and as president.

His honors include the Epstein Award, the Outstanding Teacher ASCE Student Chapter Award, the John Parmer Award of the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois, the Halliburton Award for Engineering Education leadership, the Harold T. Larsen Award of Chi Epsilon and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the ASCE Illinois Section. Just two weeks ago, Dr. Khachaturian took part in the Chi Epsilon Induction Ceremonies with his U of I civil engineer son Jon and his U of I civil engineer grandson Matthew.

In all of his endeavors, Dr. Khachaturian demonstrated the highest standards of professionalism and set professional standards of excellence that serve as a lasting model for students and faculty alike.

He was raised in the Armenian Orthodox Faith and throughout his life, was active in Christian Ministries.

Memorial contributions may be made to the University of Illinois Foundation CEE Trust-Khachaturian Memorial, in care of John Kelley, University of Illinois CEE, 205 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801.



Sponsored by Ancestry

Advertisement