Anna Sahakyan-Kendrick

Anna Sahakyan-Kendrick lost her battle with cancer on May 22, 2022. She was 49 years old. Born and raised in Yerevan, Armenia she received her Masters Degree at Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences. Her stellar career in the international development field began in 1999 with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the Caribbean -- assisting over 156,000 refugees affected by Hurricane George in the Dominican Republic. From there, she opened and managed the American Red Cross regional office in Quito, Ecuador supporting humanitarian projects in Bolivia, Venezuela, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador. These experiences prepared her for a 15-year career at Counterpart International beginning in 2004 where she became a driving force in support of civil society programs with titles including Country Team Leader and Acting Chief of Party in Uzbekistan, Director of Programs, and Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. During her tenure she oversaw a project portfolio of over $170 million providing technical expertise, quality control, donor and external partner relations while supervising over 60 field staff and ensuring positive impacts on institutional and community beneficiaries. She was an outstanding mentor to her staff, and valued colleague and collaborator with partners such as USAID, the United Nations, and NGOs in the international development field. Her thought leadership included participation as a panelist and guest speaker at forums organized by CSIS, the Foreign Service Institute, American University, InterAction, and the United Nations Open Government Program (OGP). In 2019, Anna joined PATH as Director of Operations for Digital Square and quickly became indispensable to its transformation from a start-up into a larger scale initiative. PATH refers to her as a “fearless leader who spoke hard truths, and tackled challenges head on with commitment and grace.” All of these affiliations benefited from Anna’s inherent skill at collaboration, strategic partnership, and a deeply rooted sense of integrity and resolve for making a positive difference in people’s lives. On the personal side, Anna was the embodiment of pure goodness and beauty on the inside and out. She was a devoted and nurturing mother, wife, daughter, and sister. She loved nothing more than attending her daughter’s ballet and sports events, and her twin sons’ baseball and basketball games. She took great pride in their achievements and their display of empathy for others. She had the patience of a saint, the gentleness of an angel, and the perseverance of a warrior. She was adored by her friends who she embraced as family, and lived her life with grace and joy. She mastered motherhood and a career while always maintaining a sense of calm. Although global in outlook, and proud to be an American citizen, she took great pride in her Armenian heritage and culture and loved her mother’s visits from Armenia enabling her to use the language and relish her “soul food.” In an effort to give back, she served as President of the Board of the Armenian Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief (SOAR) and was a member of the Armenian Network of America, Washington Region, as well as of St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church Parish in Bethesda, MD. In addition, Anna and a small circle of friends raised funds to support 39 Armenian families over the past 13 years, making it possible for 14 of their children to attend college. She will be sorely missed and remembered with love and affection by all whose lives she crossed. Anna is survived by her loving Husband, John Kendrick; their 14-year old daughter, Emma; nine-year old twin sons, Jaden and John; her mother, Laura Manukyan; and her brother, Vaghinak Sahakyan. In lieu of flowers, we encourage donations to SOAR and the National Breast Cancer Foundation. A Memorial Service will be held at 4:00 PM on Friday, June 3 at Murphy Funeral Home, located at 4510 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22203.