The University of Rhode Island is saddened to announce the passing of URI friend, benefactor and honorary degree recipient, Edward Avedisian. Dr. Avedisian was a longtime supporter of the College of Pharmacy, where he endowed a scholarship and academic chair, and provided naming support for the LEED-certified College of Pharmacy building. Each of these gifts was made in memory of his elder brother, Paramaz Avedisian, a pharmacist and humanitarian who graduated summa cum laude from the Rhode Island College of Pharmacy & Allied Sciences in 1954.
Edward Avedisian passed away in the evening of Dec. 7, surrounded by his loving family. He was the beloved husband of Pamela Wood Avedisian. Dr. Avedisian was born in Pawtucket, the third child of Armenian genocide survivors, Koren and Shooshanig (Ingilizian) Avedisian. He grew up in Pleasant View, a working-class neighborhood of Pawtucket with many immigrant families, where he attended public schools and was president of his graduating class, 1955 Pawtucket East (Tolman) High School. He furthered his education on a scholarship to Boston University, where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music in 1959 and 1961. He also received an RCA scholarship for advanced orchestral training at Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He was twice appointed a Fromm Fellow for contemporary music performance at Tanglewood under the direction of Aaron Copland and received an American National Theater Academy Award for his performances in Europe in 1962.
Dr. Avedisian performed for 35 years with the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, together with the Boston Ballet Orchestra for 43 years. He also held posts in the Atlanta & North Carolina Symphonies, Boston Opera Co., Boston Lyric Opera and Harvard Chamber Orchestra, and he fulfilled substitute engagements with the Boston Symphony and Metropolitan Opera.
In addition to the University of Rhode Island, Dr. Avedisian was the philanthropic benefactor of the Koren and Shooshanig Avedisian School in Armenia, named for his parents; the Zvart Onanian School of Nursing at Rhode Island College in honor of his sister; and the Vartan Gregorian Building at the National Association of Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) in Belmont, Mass. He also endowed four chairs in the Boston Ballet Orchestra to honor former fellow musicians and helped ensure that its productions will always include live music performed by a professional orchestra. Most recently, he named the Aram V. Chobanian and Edward Avedisian School of Medicine at Boston University, to honor his lifelong friend, former president and dean emeritus of Boston University.
Dr. Avedisian was the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and honorary doctorates from the University of Rhode Island and Boston University. Former President of Armenia Serge Sargsyan twice awarded him with the Movses Khorenasi Medal for Contributions to Education, Culture, Literature & the Arts. American University of Armenia conferred him with its inaugural Presidential Commendation award, and he was also honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award by the College of Fine Arts at Boston University.
“Ed was a rare individual who understood the importance of investing in students, faculty and school infrastructure. Above all, he was humble, gracious, and very witty. He will be missed greatly by his academic family in the College of Pharmacy,” said Paul Larrat, PhD, Dean of the URI College of Pharmacy.