George Derderian

George (Krikor) Derderian, 91, of Arlington, Virginia, passed away in the early morning of September 7, 2025 in McLean, Virginia.
George was born on July 7, 1934 in Havana, Cuba, to Aznive Djoukdjoukian and Hagop Derderian.
In 1946, George and his mother moved to New York. He grew up in Brooklyn, NY with his father John Attarian and his sister Virginia, and graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1953. He then enlisted in the Air Force where he was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX from 1953 to 1955. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at City College of New York in 1958.
In 1957, he married Anna Mary Petryk, who he met in a public speaking class at Brooklyn College. George and Anna lived together in the Bronx, NY; Buffalo, NY; Cincinnati, OH; Erie, PA; and Cleveland, OH before moving to Washington, DC and then Arlington, VA in 1970, after the birth of their daughter Katharine.
George worked in various engineering positions with Bell Aircraft, General Electric and NASA, ending his career at the Naval Air Systems Command where he was known for his work on jet propulsion as well as his integrity and outspokenness to ensure the safety of pilots flying the planes he helped design. During his career, he contributed to the design of the Hercules C-130 plane and the BART public transport system in San Francisco among many other professional accomplishments.
George was an active member of Saint Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church, where he taught Sunday School for many years. He had extensive knowledge of numismatics and built a unique collection of Armenian and other ancient coins which he donated to the Armenian Museum of America in Watertown, MA.
George was known for his love of the joys of life (large and small) and his wide-ranging knowledge and intellectual curiosity.
George retired in 1990, but continued to expand his knowledge with college courses and personal reading in religion, philosophy and art, together with Anna. In 2023, he moved to Vinson Hall Retirement Community, where many remember him for his kindness and his smile. In 2024, he celebrated his 67th wedding anniversary and his 90th birthday with family and friends.
George is survived by his wife, Anna Mary Derderian; his daughter Katharine Derderian, her partner William Bourgeois and their two adult children Celia and Arno Bourgeois; his sister, Virginia Attarian; and his second cousins Susan (Sahagian) Malz and her husband Geffrey, Alan and Christine Sahagian, and John Sahagian.
A funeral service will be held at Saint Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Washington, DC, on September 17, 2025 at 10:30 AM, followed by a gravesite ceremony at Oakwood Cemetery in Falls Church, VA at 12:30 PM and a reception at Vinson Hall, McLean, VA at 2 PM the same day.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Armenia Tree Project or the Children of Armenia Fund.
His memory is a blessing to all of us.
++++++++++++++++++++
For I am convinced that there is nothing in death or life, in the realm of spirits or superhuman powers, in the world as it is or the world as it shall be, in the forces of the universe, in heights or depths – nothing in all creation that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39.