Rita Vorperian: key obituary facts
Is Rita Vorperian dead? Yes. Rita Vorperian died on October 14, 2026, at age 88.
Cause of death: Rita Vorperian's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Rita Vorperian known for?
She was an Armenian writer.
More about Rita Vorperian
Born: 1 January 2000.
Place of birth: Aleppo.
Gender: female.
Occupation: translator, writer.
Nationality: Armenia.
Education: University of California, Los Angeles.
Employer: University of California, Los Angeles.
Occupations: Journalist, Writer, Translator, and Researcher.
Title: Executive Director of the Armenian Relief Society.
Rita Vorperian, a Syrian-born American literary scholar, journalist, writer, translator and researcher who served as executive director of the Armenian Relief Society in the Western United States, died October 14, 2026, aged 88.
Born in Aleppo, Syria, to Lily Vorperian and of Armenian descent, she attended the city’s Karen Yeppe Armenian High School before studying Armenology at St. Joseph University in Beirut.
After moving to the United States, she studied at UCLA, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Near Eastern Studies. At UCLA, she also served as a teaching fellow and lecturer in Western Armenian. Vorperian led the Armenian Relief Society’s Western U.S. organization from 1998 to 2005 and later served as its senior administrator. Her journalism appeared in Armenian newspapers including Aztag, a daily in Beirut; Azat Or in Greece; Asbarez in Los Angeles; Artsakank in Cyprus; and Hairenik in Watertown, Massachusetts. She also contributed literary work to Pakine in Beirut. Her work included academic teaching, organizational leadership, journalism and literary writing, alongside her activities as a translator and researcher.