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John ZOHRAB Obituary

ZOHRAB, JOHN DOUGLAS. Deeply loved by his wife Lesley; children Karl, Anya, Alex, and Isabella and their partners Frances, Andrew, and Dave; and grandchildren Teddy, Johnny, and Sophie. John died from an unexpected heart event on Sunday 18 December. A private funeral will be followed by a public memorial service in Wellington next year. All messages to Waikanae Funeral Home: P.O. Box 300, Waikanae 5250; info@waikanaefuneralhome. co.nz. No flowers please; donations may be made at the time of the memorial service for a use to be announced then.

Published by The New Zealand Herald on Dec. 24, 2022.

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Memories and Condolences
for John ZOHRAB

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13 Entries

Sorry to hear Cuz, hope you are eating through alright.

Geoff Houtman

Family

January 26, 2023

Memorial service for John Zohrab - update: the service for John will be held at Old St Paul´s, Wellington, on Wednesday 25 January from 10am (for an 11am start) to 1pm. The link for the livestream is below and will go live at 10:30am.
https://vimeo.com/785621498/ec4f9c90f7

Lesley Adcock

Family

January 24, 2023

I met John when he was a young boy in Germany but sadly we never met again. When my sister and I travelled in Armenia he was very much on our minds. Researching the family has been a labour of love for me although now aged 81 I have had to give it up. My thoughts are very much with John's family at this time and from the Sunshine Coast I send hugs to all. Carol Brunello (nee Zohrab)

Carol Brunello (nee Zohrab)

Family

January 22, 2023

As the former Chairperson of the Armenian Association of Wellington, I would like to convey my condolences to the Zohrab family. May God the almighty rest his soul in eternal peace.

Ara Kassabian

Other

January 16, 2023

Dear Lesley, I was heartbroken to have learned about John's untimely passing. We have known each other for over two decades, sharing a passion for Armenia and for international development, and I have been impressed with his personal depth and kindness. He was a true gentleman. In his last email to me a month ago he proposed a meeting in Washington in February, which will sadly not take place.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the service in person but the memories of John will always be with me. May God bless his soul...

My heartfelt condolences to you and the family.

David Grigorian, Washington, DC

Friend

January 4, 2023

Thank you so much to all of you for your kind words. I will respond more personally to those I have email addresses for. Details for John's memorial service are as follows:
A public memorial service will be held for my husband, John Zohrab, at Old St Pauls, Wellington, on Wednesday 25 January from 10am - 1pm. We will gather between 10 and 11am, when the service will begin.
We seek tributes to John from those who knew him in his many guises - family; friends; school, university and basketball days; Treasury; IMF colleagues; local colleagues from the countries in which he worked; our Teal Bay community - perhaps more.
Tributes could be presented in person (though this will depend on the time available); in writing either to be read at the service, time allowing, or in any event to be included in a written memorial book; or as a recorded message to be played during the service. If you would like to contribute in this way, please let me know as soon as possible. Once we confirm contributors, I will send further details.
The service will be live-streamed - a link for this will be sent later.
It will be followed by a gathering at the Wellington Club, for those who would like to join us in celebrating John´s life less formally.
Please let me know if you´d like to know more.

Lesley Adcock

January 2, 2023

With my profound respects and condolences to his wife, children, wider family, friends and colleagues.

I was deeply saddened to learn John´s passing. I only met him six months ago while working on a project in Georgia. Although we just collaborated through a screen, I was impressed he was kind and ever willing to share his unique insights.

He was an exceptional colleague, very appreciated by partner authorities. It will be hard to finalise the ongoing joint project without him. He has certainly made his mark as a public finance management specialist. He will be sorely missed and will always be remembered.

Juana Aristizabal from Brussels

Work

December 28, 2022

Dear Lesley,

My condolences to you and all members of your family. I met John some 20 years ago and we worked together on many IMF missions in many countries. His kindness, his shining intelligence and his good humour will be greatly missed.

Abdul Khan

Abdul Khan

Work

December 27, 2022

Dear Lesley and Children
Our condolences to you all
John was a dear friend , we met him as a 16 year old in Bonn .
Then later with you and his children in Auckland .
A wonderful person , he will be sadly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him .
Please get in touch with us when you have time , I tried calling all the numbers I had but there was no reply
We are still making wine in Cognac .
A thought to John a wonderful person
Never to be forgotten.
Heinz & Elizabeth ( Gendall) OSER
[email protected] .
Le Grande Bourras
9 Route de Jarnac
16200 Merignac
France

Elizabeth Gendall Oser

December 27, 2022

Lesley, My and Sally´s deepest condolences to you, your children and your wider family at John`s death. He had contributed so much, first to New Zealand and then through the IMF to the wider world and yet was still vigorously adding further to that contribution, with your help. Working with John as a member of the Debt Management Office Advisory Board and then building on his work when I followed him as Treasurer was a very rewarding experience. Just a few months ago I enjoyed catching up with him in Wellington. Once again, I was impressed with his insights and his ability to identify the crucial aspects of any economic issue. John will be greatly missed by all who worked with him but your loss is much more profound. At this very sad moment I hope that the deep appreciation of so many of John´s and your colleagues will be some comfort.

I hope to be able to express my condolences in person at the memorial service.

Pat Duignan

Pat Duignan

December 24, 2022

Dear Lesley,

It was with shock and dismay that I learned of John's untimely passing. I offer my condolences and sympathy to you and your family in this time of travail.

In the all too short time that I knew John, I count myself privileged to have enjoyed the company of a courteous, interesting, and decent human being.

But John is not gone from me, he is part of my life now, and will live with me in affection and respect for as long as I shall endure.

To you and your family, the legatees of this remarkable man, I can only offer the words of the poet who said:

"The old order changeth, yielding place to the new,
and God fulfils himself in many ways lest one good custom should spoil us all".

This is the way of our lives, and with it perforce, we must be content.

I reiterate my condolences and would appreciate your communicating them to your family.

Yours sincerely,

Richard

Richard Nickless

Friend

December 24, 2022

So very sad that we have not been able to catch up with John in recent times. You were so kind to us when we arrived in NZ in 1989 and we have wonderful memories of you and Leslie in NZ and around the world with the IMF. Rest in peace dear John. Love John & Jill Gardner

John & Jill Gardner

Friend

December 24, 2022

Deeply shocked to read that John has died. Lesley, this devastating shock seems incredible and his death will be such a huge loss for you all. My most sincere condolences to you and Anya, Karl and the whole family. His was a very special intellect and he will be widely mourned. Judith Aitken

Judith

December 24, 2022

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