Zaven Yervant Ouzounian

Zaven Yervant Ouzounian of Houston, Texas, passed away at the age of 86 on September 11, 2026, in Houston.

He was born on January 5, 1940 in Baghdad, Iraq to Yervant Ouzounian and Varsenig Matigian Ouzounian.

Zaven grew up in Baghdad and moved to the United States in 1960 to pursue his education. He attended Worcester Junior College, the University of Michigan, and obtained his degree in Civil Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He proudly lived and worked for many years in Massachusetts, Delaware, and Pennsylvania as an engineer on projects such as the Worcester Center Galleria and the SEPTA Trolley system in Philadelphia. In addition he served as a Safety Officer for the Veterans Administration. Later in his career he ran his own environmental safety consulting business,most notably working with the Houston Independent School District to make schools and administrative facilities safer.

Zaven married the love of his life, Souzanne Tarakjian Ouzounian, in Houston in November of 1993, where they lived and created a vibrant, happy life with their son, Vahe. He was a fixture of the Armenian community, serving as a Parish Council member at St. Kevork Armenian Church for many years. He will be remembered by many as a selfless, loving, dedicated, and present father who made it his life’s mission to give as much of his time to his son as he could, to guide him and teach him all the lessons he himself had learned during his adventures, so that he could be equipped to take on the world. He more than succeeded in this. He was known for his can-do attitude and determination. He lived by the words of one of his favorite quotes “If you believe, you can achieve”. He loved fishing, camping, dancing, and living life.

Zaven is survived by his wife Souzanne, his son Vahe, daughter-in-law Chantel, and his brothers Vahan of Los Angeles, California, Ara of Houston, Texas, and extended family members.

Preceded in death by, and now reunited with, his mother and father, Yervant and Varsenig Ouzounian.

Services will be held on Friday, September 18th, 2026, at St. Kevork Armenian Church in Houston, TX.

Visitation will begin at 10:45am, and the service will begin at 11:45am.

Burial will follow at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery at 12:30pm.

Officiated by Rev. Fr. Martiros Hakobyan