Vrege Amirkhanian

Dr. Vrege Amirkhanian, of Russellville, passed away on Tuesday, December 8, 2020, at the age of 73. He was professor emeritus of mathematics at Arkansas Tech University (ATU), where he taught from 1989 until his retirement in 2018. Dr. Amirkhanian received his PhD in 1978 from Oklahoma State University under the supervision of Dr. James Choike, with a dissertation entitled “Boundary Behavior of Singular Inner Functions and their Derivatives.” Upon completion of his doctorate, Dr. Amirkhanian returned home to Iran, and began teaching at Jundishapur University in Ahvaz, Iran, since renamed to Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. In 1988, Dr. Amirkhanian permanently relocated his family to the United States, ultimately settling in Russellville until his death due to complications from treatment for a recent diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma.

Among his many affiliations, Dr. Amirkhanian was a longstanding member of the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America until his death. His passions included birdwatching, photography, nature walks, music listening, and book collecting. In a retirement tragically cut short, Dr. Amirkhanian sought to explore the world with his wife of 40 years, spend more time with his son and family on both ends of California, organize a library for his thousands of books, and learn illustration and guitar. Dr. Amirkhanian was also a philanthropist of modest means, contributing to various universities, mathematical societies, and organizations such as Feeding America, National Audubon Society, Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, and St. Joseph’s Indian School.

A gentle, brilliant and kind-hearted son, brother, husband, father, friend, educator and academic, Dr. Amirkhanian will find his final resting place in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, among dearly departed family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Marta Sameh of Russellville, son, Zareh Amirkhanian of Oakland, CA, and sisters, Roubina Malekandrasians and Rima Aloian, both of Glendale, CA. He was preceded in death by his father, Vartan Amirkhanian, mother, Hasmik Megerdichian, and sister, Ramela Amirkhanian. He will be missed dearly and enduringly by loved ones and colleagues across the globe.