Kevork S Hovnanian was an Armenian-American businessman and home builder, who founded Hovnanian Enterprises in 1959.
20 Facts About Kevork Hovnanian
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Kevork Hovnanian remained the president and chief executive officer of Hovnanian Enterprises until his retirement in 1997.
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Kevork Hovnanian was born in Kirkuk, present-day Iraq, in 1923.
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Kevork Hovnanian was the oldest of four sons born to Stepan K Hovnanian, a refugee from Armenia who had settled in Iraq.
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Stepan Kevork Hovnanian operated a construction business in Kirkuk which held contracts with oil companies in the region.
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Kevork Hovnanian took over the family's construction business after his father became ill.
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Kevork Hovnanian eventually employed more than 12,000 people in Iraq.
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However, Kevork Hovnanian fled to the United States in the aftermath of the 1958 Iraqi Revolution, which overthrew the monarchy of Faisal II of Iraq.
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Kevork Hovnanian Enterprises had built and sold more than 30,000 homes and condos by 1989.
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Kevork Hovnanian stepped down as president of Hovnanian Enterprises in 1989, and was succeeded by his son, Ara K Hovnanian.
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Kevork Hovnanian remained chief executive until his retirement in 1997, and was replaced as CEO by Ara Hovnanian.
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Kevork Hovnanian relocated its corporate headquarters to a new building on the banks of the Navesink River in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 2006.
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Kevork Hovnanian left a number of philanthropic contributions during his life, especially in support of New Jersey, Armenia and the Armenian diaspora.
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Kevork Hovnanian's contributions included the K Hovnanian Pavilion at the Alton A Hovnanian Emergency Care Center at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank and the K Hovnanian Children's Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, New Jersey.
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Kevork Hovnanian contributed donations to New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, which honored its benefactor by naming its cardiology practice unit for the K Hovnanian family.
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Kevork Hovnanian donated a townhouse in New York City for use as the official Armenian Mission to the United Nations.
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In 1986, Kevork Hovnanian constructed the St Stepanos Armenian Church in the Elberon section of Long Branch in honor of his mother.
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Kevork Hovnanian died on September 24,2009, at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City at the age of 86.
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Kevork Hovnanian was survived by his wife of 60 years, Sirwart ; daughters, Sossie Najarian, Esto Barry and Lucy Kalian and Nadia Rodriguez; and son, Ara Hovnanian.
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Kevork Hovnanian was survived by two of his brothers, Hirair and Vahak, both of whom live in Middletown, New Jersey, and 13 grandchildren.