[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 132 (Tuesday, September 16, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1419]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE LIFE OF JOSEPH ``BEBO'' MANJIKIAN

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JUDY CHU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 16, 2014

  Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the long, full life of a 
beloved constituent, family man, athlete, gardener, centenarian, and 
genocide survivor: Joseph ``Bebo'' Manjikian.
  I had the great pleasure of celebrating Bebo's 104th birthday with 
him and a great many members of his family, the Armenian community in 
the San Gabriel Valley of California, and other local elected 
officials. Bebo was an extraordinary man and an example of triumph over 
tragedy.
  He was a man who, well into his 90s, was power-lifting and competing 
in the Senior Olympics, winning gold medals no less. Bebo trained by 
staying active with a unique blend of traditional exercise and his 
diligent gardening, tilling the soil and tending to his cherished fruit 
trees. It was said that if everyone did this, the way Bebo did, their 
fitness would be rewarded with good crops and a beautiful garden. And 
in many ways, this was the philosophy of Bebo's life. He believed in 
being a role model through his actions. He would say, ``You have to 
walk the walk.''
  Bebo was also a genocide survivor. He was born in 1910 in the 
Armenian village of Kessab, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire. 
His father, an Armenian officer conscripted into the Ottoman Army, was 
killed in the Armenian genocide of 1915. Bebo and the rest of his 
family were driven from their village and forced into exile by Turkish 
soldiers. Their village was destroyed and they endured sickness and 
hunger, walking for miles. They could not stop or they risked being 
shot, so his mother fed her children with weeds and grass. Eventually 
Kessab became part of Syria after World War I and Bebo was able to 
return. And, though his life would ultimately take him far from his 
childhood home, he ended up marrying a woman also from his village, 
named Sara. Bebo rejoiced in Sara's traditional cooking, harkening back 
to the couple's roots. They never forgot where they came from, and 
never ceased to keep their best memories and traditions alive.
  Bebo was a self-taught man and entrepreneur of great skill. At 18 he 
left his village again and settled in Palestine, where he lived for 
over two decades and worked as a mechanic for the British Army. In 1950 
he came to the United States with his young family and settled in 
Inglewood, California, where he operated his own mechanic shop for 25 
years. His family recalls that he could fix anything, and he would tell 
them ``In Kessab, there were no Home Depots.'' Once again, he taught 
others through his example, not only sharing his skills but also his 
belief in empowering himself and others. He also spoke a remarkable 
seven languages, despite much formal education. These included German, 
French, Hebrew, Turkish, Arabic, English, Armenian, and Kessaberen.
  Perhaps most of all, Bebo was a family and community man. He and Sara 
eventually moved to the West Hills and spent much time with family in 
Pasadena. They had three children, eight grandchildren, and seven 
great-grandchildren. Bebo was always quick to help a relative or friend 
in need, opening his home to them. After his retirement he worked at 
Camp Kessab, an Armenian youth camp in California focused on traditions 
from Bebo's home village. He was instrumental in keeping the place 
going. Bebo was deeply devoted to his family and community, sharing 
stories and testifying to over a century of history, still sharp in his 
mind.
  His loss is a loss for all of us. He was an incomparable repository 
of experiences; an unbelievable specimen of physical and mental acuity; 
an exemplary citizen and humanitarian. But most of all Bebo was an 
inspiration to know. He will be greatly missed and long remembered; he 
who always walked the walk.

                          ____________________