Obituary for Ara Keyfer
On October 8, 2022, Ara Keyfer passed suddenly and unexpectedly in his home in Anderson, SC, exactly as he had wished. At 83, Ara was fiercely independent and the night before he passed, he was on his back patio with his scotch, his cigarette and enjoying the beautiful evening.
Ara was born in Istanbul, Turkey on June 3, 1939. He was the only child to Anayis Hampartsoumyan and Armenak Keyfer. In 1959, he graduated from The American Robert College of Istanbul, a highly selective, independent high school in Turkey. Ara remained in close contact with many of his childhood friends from Robert College despite distance and time (63 years).
Ara came to the United States to attend Georgia Tech and in 1967 graduated with a degree in Architecture. At Georgia Tech, he not only learned the art and science of Architecture but developed fantastic friendships that remained important to him his whole life. But wait, what about Joyce? There is no Ara without Joyce. Joyce, his wife of 55 years, passed away December 5, 2020. They met at a mutual friend’s party while Ara was at Tech and Joyce living in Atlanta working for Piedmont Airlines. Ara’s pick-up line is one for the history books and how it worked remains a mystery. “Chevrolet Motors” was all he said to Joyce as he continued to circle back around to her throughout the evening. Eventually he asked her if she wanted to go on a picnic the following day. She said “yes”, and when she showed up at his dorm in her Volkswagen beetle bug, Ara and several of his friends, jumped in the car. When you’re a foreign student without a car and all your friends are the same, a beautiful woman with a car willing to take you and all your friends on a picnic (Joyce had no idea about the friends by the way) is an open door to adventure and possibly love. Joyce saw in Ara that he was a good man who loved life and a few months later, SHE asked him to marry her. They were married on December 26, 1964.
Most of Ara’s professional life was spent as a Principal at Copper Carry and Assoc. in Atlanta until he opened his own firm, Keyfer & Associates in 1991. Ara literally built his firm from the ground up, digging out the crawlspace of his house until he had made enough room to fit a small excavator. Ara digging and Joyce screaming that the house was going to collapse was the start of a very successful company. Despite the noises and the tremors that felt like the house was on a fault line, the house stood, the marriage survived and an entire new beautiful basement floor was added and used as the office space for Keyfer & Assoc. until the company moved to a more appropriate office in Buckhead. Keyfer & Assoc. started as a family affair with Joyce being the bookkeeper and both daughters, Talin and Lara, working for the company.
Ara, the Architect, enjoyed architecture in action. Not only did the family survive the excavator digging out a new floor but Joyce put up with living without windows, a roof (Joyce had said, they went to sleep watching the stars- that sounds romantic but it really wasn’t, Joyce was in disbelief), and with the almost constant sounds of construction. But Ara was Ara, and she loved him.
In 1996, Armenia participated in the Summer Olympics and Paralympics for the first time as an independent country. Ara, being a pilar in the Atlanta Armenian community (he helped start the Armenian Independent Cultural Association of Atlanta and supported the beginning of the Armenian Church of Atlanta) was asked to be the Attache for Armenia. He embraced the role completely and not only served in the diplomatic sense but Ara and Joyce opened their hearts and home to the athletes, coaches and support staff.
Ara’s heart and home was always open. Ara loved family, friends, good food, good conversation, cheap scotch, a smoke and laughter. Ara had the best laugh. Ara’s friends are far and wide and many. Ara lived a good life with travel, frequent dinner parties, house guests (that would stay for months at the “Keyfer Hotel”) and a standing Christmas Eve party (invitations weren’t necessary, people just showed up. The Keyfer’s Christmas Eve party was a tradition for many).
Ara’s proudest accomplishment was being the father to his two daughters, Talin and Lara. He deeply loved his daughters and never shied from expressing his love and affection. Hugs, kisses and “I love you(s)” were frequent. Ara’s love and joy in his grandchildren was abundant and an intense source of happiness. Warren and Gavin being the sons he had hoped to have and Lucine with her surprising blonde curly hair his sweet granddaughter.
Ara was a loving husband to his wife Joyce, a dedicated Father, a friend to many and the best Grandfather. He and his laugh will be dearly missed but he lived and for that we are grateful. Those corny signs that remind us to, “Live, Laugh, Love” – Dad actually did that. He is survived by his daughters, Talin Luys Keyfer and Lara Anayis Stuart (husband David). His grandchildren are Warren and Lucine Hohn; and Gavin Ara Stuart. He is also survived by loving cousins and many wonderful friends.
A friend asked me what I thought mom would say to dad when they were reunited and I think she would say, “Ara, what took you so long?”. But if you knew my mom she said his name like a southern woman, so it would be more like, “Aaaa-raaa, what took you so long?” and then I can just imagine the two of them hugging and laughing.
Details regarding a Memorial Service in Atlanta will be forthcoming.
Donations in Ara’s honor may be made to:
Armenian Church of Atlanta
9820 Coleman Road
Roswell, Georgia 30075
Ara was born in Istanbul, Turkey on June 3, 1939. He was the only child to Anayis Hampartsoumyan and Armenak Keyfer. In 1959, he graduated from The American Robert College of Istanbul, a highly selective, independent high school in Turkey. Ara remained in close contact with many of his childhood friends from Robert College despite distance and time (63 years).
Ara came to the United States to attend Georgia Tech and in 1967 graduated with a degree in Architecture. At Georgia Tech, he not only learned the art and science of Architecture but developed fantastic friendships that remained important to him his whole life. But wait, what about Joyce? There is no Ara without Joyce. Joyce, his wife of 55 years, passed away December 5, 2020. They met at a mutual friend’s party while Ara was at Tech and Joyce living in Atlanta working for Piedmont Airlines. Ara’s pick-up line is one for the history books and how it worked remains a mystery. “Chevrolet Motors” was all he said to Joyce as he continued to circle back around to her throughout the evening. Eventually he asked her if she wanted to go on a picnic the following day. She said “yes”, and when she showed up at his dorm in her Volkswagen beetle bug, Ara and several of his friends, jumped in the car. When you’re a foreign student without a car and all your friends are the same, a beautiful woman with a car willing to take you and all your friends on a picnic (Joyce had no idea about the friends by the way) is an open door to adventure and possibly love. Joyce saw in Ara that he was a good man who loved life and a few months later, SHE asked him to marry her. They were married on December 26, 1964.
Most of Ara’s professional life was spent as a Principal at Copper Carry and Assoc. in Atlanta until he opened his own firm, Keyfer & Associates in 1991. Ara literally built his firm from the ground up, digging out the crawlspace of his house until he had made enough room to fit a small excavator. Ara digging and Joyce screaming that the house was going to collapse was the start of a very successful company. Despite the noises and the tremors that felt like the house was on a fault line, the house stood, the marriage survived and an entire new beautiful basement floor was added and used as the office space for Keyfer & Assoc. until the company moved to a more appropriate office in Buckhead. Keyfer & Assoc. started as a family affair with Joyce being the bookkeeper and both daughters, Talin and Lara, working for the company.
Ara, the Architect, enjoyed architecture in action. Not only did the family survive the excavator digging out a new floor but Joyce put up with living without windows, a roof (Joyce had said, they went to sleep watching the stars- that sounds romantic but it really wasn’t, Joyce was in disbelief), and with the almost constant sounds of construction. But Ara was Ara, and she loved him.
In 1996, Armenia participated in the Summer Olympics and Paralympics for the first time as an independent country. Ara, being a pilar in the Atlanta Armenian community (he helped start the Armenian Independent Cultural Association of Atlanta and supported the beginning of the Armenian Church of Atlanta) was asked to be the Attache for Armenia. He embraced the role completely and not only served in the diplomatic sense but Ara and Joyce opened their hearts and home to the athletes, coaches and support staff.
Ara’s heart and home was always open. Ara loved family, friends, good food, good conversation, cheap scotch, a smoke and laughter. Ara had the best laugh. Ara’s friends are far and wide and many. Ara lived a good life with travel, frequent dinner parties, house guests (that would stay for months at the “Keyfer Hotel”) and a standing Christmas Eve party (invitations weren’t necessary, people just showed up. The Keyfer’s Christmas Eve party was a tradition for many).
Ara’s proudest accomplishment was being the father to his two daughters, Talin and Lara. He deeply loved his daughters and never shied from expressing his love and affection. Hugs, kisses and “I love you(s)” were frequent. Ara’s love and joy in his grandchildren was abundant and an intense source of happiness. Warren and Gavin being the sons he had hoped to have and Lucine with her surprising blonde curly hair his sweet granddaughter.
Ara was a loving husband to his wife Joyce, a dedicated Father, a friend to many and the best Grandfather. He and his laugh will be dearly missed but he lived and for that we are grateful. Those corny signs that remind us to, “Live, Laugh, Love” – Dad actually did that. He is survived by his daughters, Talin Luys Keyfer and Lara Anayis Stuart (husband David). His grandchildren are Warren and Lucine Hohn; and Gavin Ara Stuart. He is also survived by loving cousins and many wonderful friends.
A friend asked me what I thought mom would say to dad when they were reunited and I think she would say, “Ara, what took you so long?”. But if you knew my mom she said his name like a southern woman, so it would be more like, “Aaaa-raaa, what took you so long?” and then I can just imagine the two of them hugging and laughing.
Details regarding a Memorial Service in Atlanta will be forthcoming.
Donations in Ara’s honor may be made to:
Armenian Church of Atlanta
9820 Coleman Road
Roswell, Georgia 30075