Gevork Minssian
Gevork Kevin Minissian, a loving father, son, brother, uncle, and friend, and a respected business and community leader, unexpectedly passed away on Tuesday, November 23, 2021.
Born in Yerevan, Armenia on June 29, 1951, Kevin was the second born of four children to Vahan and Anitsa Minissian and grew up in the neighborhood of Nor-Zeytoun in Yerevan. Kevin showed a strong affinity for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) from an early age, and was accepted into an accelerated math and science academy for gifted students. He excelled and was later accepted to attend the prestigious Polytechnic University in Yerevan, where he studied Electrical Engineering.
Just a few months shy of graduating top of his class at age 19, his family had the rare opportunity to relocate to America with sponsorship from his maternal aunt’s family, and by December of that year, his family had settled in Pasadena, California. Determined to attain his college degree despite his language barrier, he was admitted to Cal State Los Angeles due to his advanced studies from Armenia, where he ultimately earned his Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. From the moment Kevin arrived in the United States, he spent the next 51 years diligently making his version of the perfect American dream come true.
By the early 1980s, Kevin founded his own chemical solutions company, HyeChem (“Hye” meaning “Armenian”). After losing that business to an unexpected fire, he went on to found Norchem (“Nor” meaning “New”) Corporation as a symbol of a new beginning for his entrepreneurial journey. For over four decades, Kevin dedicated his life to cultivating a trusted, loyal team and developing innovative green chemistry solutions and advanced wastewater reclamation systems for the textile services industry. Kevin’s innovative and creative nature enabled him to explore “what’s possible” when troubleshooting operational challenges and pragmatically applying advanced solutions to achieve sustainable and scalable outcomes. When he wasn’t serving customers, Kevin could be found enthusiastically and tirelessly working in his lab to simplify the laundry cleaning process for greater efficiency.
Kevin’s commitment to excellence paired with his passion to serve his customers was deeply regarded and he acquired tremendous respect and positive influence amongst his colleagues, many of whom have become dear friends. As an industry thought leader, he was an active member of numerous associations and served as a council member of the Los Angeles Sanitation Districts’ Advisory Council. Most recently, Norchem was recognized by the Textile Rental Services Association with the 2021 Clean Green Innovation Award, proudly accepted by Kevin.
In 1988, Kevin married the love of his life Houri Derbalian, and together they raised a beautiful family of four children in Pasadena – three daughters and one son. A dedicated family man, Kevin served his family with love and purpose, especially championing his children in their education and every activity they pursued. After working 14+ hour days, he would still dedicate himself to spending precious moments with his family. He would travel the country to watch his youngest daughter play Division 1 collegiate soccer for the University of California, Davis; drive his second daughter six hours to move her into her dorm room at UC Berkeley; sit in the front row to watch his son lead in a breakout role in his first stage play; join his eldest daughter at her favorite concert; surprise his wife with a show at the Hollywood Bowl; and, spend quality time with his extended family and friends. He took a genuine interest in all those he knew, whether meeting them for the first time or knowing them for a lifetime.
As a lover of soccer, Kevin devoted himself to the sport throughout his life – both as an athlete and as a coach, participating as both for the Armenian Homenetmen Sports league and the local AYSO, and as an active supporter for the club teams his daughters played on. When not watching the sport every chance he could, he would be found every Sunday, right up to the week of his passing, playing with the same recreational Armenian men’s team, all of whom became friends to him. Kevin gave his all in everything he did with great pride, strong values, and his warm smile.
Kevin was filled with positive energy no matter the occasion, and he made his presence known with humility and through his thoughtful and sincere actions. He saw the potential in all he met and knew, often supporting them in the opportunity to prove that potential to themselves. He is profoundly missed and forever remembered and honored as a devoted family man, friend, colleague, and innovative icon who lived for his life’s purpose with integrity, pride, and passion.
Kevin is survived by his wife Houri, his four children, siblings, as well as his many nieces and nephews, extended family, friends, and his Norchem family.
In honor of his ongoing passion for innovation, his family and Norchem Corporation have established the Kevin Minissian Memorial Fund at CalTech. This tribute of gratitude and respect honors his legacy and will support students and their research within the Hoffmann group in the area of water treatment and recycling technologies. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to this fund.
Funeral services will be held on December 23, 2021, at 9:30 AM PST at Forest Lawn in Hollywood Hills. A live webcast will be available (password: Minissian) for those who are unable to attend in person.
For updates and more information about his services, memorial fund, and tribute, please visit the website.
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