Philip Zaybekian

Philip Zaybekian, 88, of Parsippany, NJ passed away peacefully on Monday, August 16th, 2021. He was born in the Bronx, NY, and at a young age moved to Brooklyn with his family. He was the second child of Tateous (Tom) and Zouart [Agemian] Zaybekian. He attended Brooklyn Technical High School before graduating from Cooper Union with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Upon graduation, he joined Exxon Chemical where he worked until his retirement.

Philip and his wife Esther met as children through their families. They married in 1960 and moved to Elizabeth, NJ where their first son Guy was born. Shortly after they moved to Parsippany, NJ. Through his early career troubleshooting chemical plants, the family relocated to Holland, Brussels and Canada, where their second son Armen was born. His later career focused on artificial intelligence technology for those plants.

After overcoming health issues, Philip embraced his early retirement in 1990. He and his wife enjoyed New York City with multiple visits to the Metropolitan Opera (where they were season ticket holders for four decades), museums, and restaurants. They were active members of the Exxon Annuitants Club, and travelled extensively with trips to Hawaii and several cruises in Europe. They were also fortunate to travel with his sister Florence and her husband Mike to Alaska and Italy.

Philip was an active member of St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church in Livingston, NJ where he served on the Parish Council and as a member of the church choir. He was an avid gardener and his family enjoyed the bounty from their backyard garden for many years. He was a firm believer in maintaining his health and kept a regular exercise routine into his early 80s.

Philip was a caring and loving father, husband and grandfather. He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Esther, his son Guy and his wife Ellen, as well as his son Armen and his wife Christina. Also surviving are five grandchildren: Ryan, Jackie, Trevor, Charlie and Andrew. He will be missed dearly by his large extended family and friends. Philip is pre-deceased by his sister Florence and his brother-in-law Michael Ferri.

Recognizing Philip’s commitment to his faith and community, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Mary Armenian Church (https://www.stmarynj.net/donate, please direct your support to “Donate in lieu of” and add Philip’s name) or the Parsippany Volunteer Ambulance Squad (https://www.pvas.org/fund-drive-and-donations/, leave an “in lieu of” message at the end of the process).

Visitation for Philip will be held Friday, August 20, 2021 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Quinn Hopping Funeral Home, 145 East Mount Pleasant Ave, Livingston, NJ 07039. There will be an additional visitation on Saturday August 21, 2021 from 9:30 to 10:00 AM at St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church, 200 West Mt. Pleasant Avenue, Livingston, NJ 07039, followed immediately by his funeral from 10:00 to 10:45 AM. A committal will occur Saturday, August 21, 2021 from 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM at Restland Memorial Park, 77 Deforest Avenue, East Hanover, NJ 07039.