Mr.

Kegham (Kenneth) Kradjian, a leading businessman and citizen of the Binghamton

community, died Wednesday morning, May 30, 2001, at Wilson Memorial Hospital,

Johnson City, N.Y. He died after a brief illness. Mr. Kradjian, an Armenian,

was born in 1903 in Hadjin, Turkey, formerly part of Ancient Armenia. A

survivor of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, he immigrated to the United States

in 1923. Arriving with no money and unable to speak English, he worked hard in

the local shoe factory, Endicott-Johnson. After a few years, he and his brother

had saved up enough money to acquire a dry cleaning operation, Ballard &

Ballard Dry Cleaners, located on the west side of Binghamton. He had tremendous

love and pride for his adopted country; he attended Binghamton Central High

School Citizenship Classes, and soon became a United States citizen. Prior to

his arrival in this country, he had been a student at the prestigious Armenian

Getronagan College in Istanbul. As the dry cleaning business prospered, Mr.

Kradjian, along with his brother, and later with their respective sons,

established various real estate development companies which built and managed

apartments, supermarkets, office complexes, and hotel and motel operations. Mr.

Kradjian's vision and entrepreneurial efforts played a key role in helping to

stimulate Broome County's economic growth during the past 50 years. During his

life, Mr. Kradjian was an active member of the Masonic Temple and the Kalurah

Shrine. He was an accomplished horseman, and as Captain of the Shrine Patrol,

proudly led his fellow Shriners in their annual parade. Mr. Kradjian had a

life-long passion for horses; he kept several horses on his farm in Vestal and

rode them daily up until two years ago. Even after reaching an agreement with

The State University of New York whereby Mr. Kradjian's property was acquired

by the state he was granted exclusive rights to ride his horse on the

University grounds. Students came to refer to the familiar figure trotting on

horseback across the rolling hills as "The Man on the Horse". Mr. Kradjian's

other hobbies included hunting, fishing, and gardening. He was also an expert

backgammon player. Mr Kradjian was one of the founders of St. Gregory The

Illuminator Armenian Church in Binghamton. He was an active supporter of the

parish throughout his life. He also was a supporter of several Armenian

organizations: The Endowment Fund of the Armenian Church, The Armenian General

Benevolent Union, St. Nerses Seminary, and the Armenian Assembly. In 1998, Mr.

Kradjian received a special medal of recognition from the Catholicos of All

Armenians, His Holiness Karekin I, for his generous support of the Armenian

Church and its mission. In addition, Mr. Kradjian, along with his brother,

sponsored over 40 immigrants from their native Hadjin and other countries so

that these young students could come to this country, be guaranteed jobs, and

offered the same opportunity that they had been given. Mr. Kradjian is survived

by his wife, V. Sonig Kradjian, whom he married in 1995. In 1991 he was

predeceased by his wife of 61 years, Haigouhi, the mother of his four surviving

children; Alice Janian and her husband Henri, Palm Desert, Calif, Ara Kradjian

and his wife Naima, Binghamton, Astrid Dadourian and her husband Haig, New York

City, and Diane Robinson and her husband Lewis, Paradise Valley, Ariz. In

addition, Mr. Kradjian is survived by nine grandchildren, Lisa and Monique

Janian, Leslie Barmakian, Jeanine Hovsepian, Melanie Dadourian, Eric and Brian

Kradjian, David and Elyse Robinson; and eight great-grandchildren. Other surviving

relatives of Mr. Kradjian are his brother, Arsham Kradjian, Binghamton; sister,

Mrs. Vehanoosh Gechijian, Arlington, Mass.Funeral services will be held at St.

Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church, 12 Corbett Avenue, Binghamton, on

Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Rev. Fr. Mikael Devejian, Pastor and the Very Rev. Fr.

Daniel Findikyan will officiate. Burial will be in Vestal Hills Memorial Park.

The family will receive friends at the J.A. McCormack Sons Funeral Home, 141

Main Street, Binghamton, Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. The Vestal-Otsiningo Lodge 435

will hold services at 8 p.m. followed by a wake service. In lieu of flowers,

expressions of sympathy in memory of Mr. Kradjian may be made to St. Gregory

the Illuminator Armenian Church, 12 Corbett Avenue, Binghamton, N.Y. 13903.