Noted Lawyer, Spirited Conversationalist, and Voracious Reader
Gerald Chakerian ’68
May 1, 2024.
A spirited conversationalist and voracious reader, Gerald was born in 1946. He grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Denver, Colorado, where he made close, lifelong friends. In the mid-’60s, Gerald studied philosophy at Reed, writing his thesis, “Whitehead’s Concept of a ‘Society’: An Essay in Sociological Metaphysics,” under the mentorship of Prof. Bonnie Garlan ’57 [humanities 1965–68]. He then went on to earn his law degree from the University of New Mexico.
Gerald worked as a lawyer for the federal government in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., but felt most at home surrounded by the Sandia Mountains in Albuquerque, and returned there after retirement to settle in the Corrales area. He also participated in community service by giving car rides to those in need, took courses at UNM, and enjoyed traveling, swimming, learning new languages, watching sports and films, and spending time with family and friends. He is survived by his daughter, Joanna, his son, Stephen, and his brother, Armen Chakerian ’63 .
Appeared in Reed magazine: Winter 2024
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