Obituary RALPH SAM TUFENKIAN March 16, 1926 – March 11, 2024
Ralph Sam Tufenkian, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed away on March 11, 2024, at his home in Glendale. He was born to Virginia Bedig and Sam Tufenkian in Los Angeles on Brighton Ave. They had four children, Marion, Virginia Mae, Ralph, and Billy.
Ralph attended Los Angeles schools graduating from Los Angeles High School in 1944. After High School he entered the US Army and served in the Pacific Theater during WWII. He trained in Intelligence Reconnaissance and performed his duties in Saipan and Iwojima. The war ended and he moved to Okinawa where he joined the US Air Force and became a Turbo Supercharger Specialist for the B-29.
Ralph attended Gethsemene Church and during a CE volleyball event met Savey Shirvanian. They were married on July 12, 1958.
Ralph worked at Vacco Industries, a manufacturer of high pressure valves and filters used in the aerospace industry as well on all nuclear powered submarines. In 1970 he founded Stagg Equipment Corporation where he designed and received three US patents for waste containers. He later joined Western Waste Industries as VP of Corporate Products. He assisted the development of six solid waste landfills, and the construction of five waste transfer and recycling stations.
Together, Ralph and Savey had three children – Richard, Sandra and Greg. After the tragic loss of Richard in 1990, Ralph and Savey embarked on providing for and helping Armenian children.
Memorial services will be held on Wednesday, March 20 at 1 p.m at the United Armenian Congregational Church, located at 3480 Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles. Internment will follow at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills.
He is survived by his:
Son Greg and Caroline Tufenkian
Daughter, Sandra and Paul Kalemkiarian
Grandchildren, Sara, Lisa, and Lena and their spouses, and Sam, Michael, and Max Tufenkian.
Great-grandchildren Micah, Ani, Ambrose, Sophene and Clement
Brother-in-law, Kosti & Marian Shirvanian
And all Lais, Kalemkiarian , Gregory, Petrossian, Hacopian, Scheyer, Tufenkian, Aykanian, Shirvanian, Donoian, Kurchian, Wolfe, Matevosian, and Hanessian families, relatives, and friends.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to St. Mary’s Richard Tufenkian Pre-School and Armenian Educational Foundation Tufenkian Richard Tufenkian Fund.
