Mr. John Mahmarian, age 99, of Cedartown, Georgia, passed away on Saturday, December 7, 2019.  He was born in Union City, New Jersey, on November 23, 1920.  He was the son of the late Harry and Alice Bookrajian Mahmarian.

As a young man, Mr. Mahmarian loved the outdoors. He was a sports enthusiast who enjoyed everything from fishing, to football, to golf.  He attended Horace Mann Elementary School until 8 ^th grade before transitioning to Robert Fulton High School.  He was also a good student and began his college education at the University of Georgia in 1939.

Following Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the U.S. entered World War II, and he enlisted in the Navy's V7 program while in college. The V7 program allowed college students to complete their college degree while participating in the Naval Reserve. Upon completion of the V7 requirements, Mr. Mahmarian was commissioned as an ensign on December 22, 1943.  He was given one week leave before reporting for duty in Norfolk, Virginia.

After being assigned to LCI-500, Mr. Mahmarian began his journey across the Atlantic. Once in England, training exercises began for Operation Overlord, more popularly known as D-Day. Mr. Mahmarian was elevated to temporary command of the ship during the largest practice landing to date on April 28, 1944.

On June 6 ^th , 1944, Mr. Mahmarian participated in the invasion of Normandy, which marked the beginning of the liberation from Nazi Germany.  LCI-500's destination was the Jig Green sector of Gold Beach, and after disembarking the troops from the Durham Light Infantry, LCI-500 stayed on Gold Beach. A British intelligence officer appropriated the ship as an interrogations center.

Following the success of Operation Overload, Mr. Mahmarian received his promotion to Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG) and was re-assigned to the Pacific Theater, where preparations were being made to invade Japan.  The plans never came to fruition as the war ended in September 1945. After serving occupation duty in the Pacific, in April 1946, Mr. Mahmarian returned to New York and received his terminal leave from the Navy.

Though Mr. Mahmarian initially planned to attend New York University Medical School (he had been accepted in 1943), after being told there would be a one-year wait to be admitted, he chose instead to work in his father's business, refurbishing cruise ships for the now-defunct U.S. Lines. He met his future wife, Dorothy Barry, while playing in a golf tournament and they married in 1950.  In 1953, he became the proud father of twins, Janet and John.

In 1978, Mr. Mahmarian retired and sold his family's business, H. K. Mahmarian & Sons.  He moved to Villa Rica in 1984 and lived there until 2014.  Mr. Mahmarian remained an avid golfer and continued playing until he was 90.  After his wife Dorothy passed in March 2014, he moved to Cedartown, where he lived with his daughter Janet and his granddaughter Brittany.   During that time, Mr. Mahmarian became an active, fulltime member of the Lighthouse United Pentecostal Church and became close friends with many of the church members.

Mr. Mahmarian is survived by his daughter, Janet Sloan; son, Dr. John Mahmarian (Angela); brother, Harold Mahmarian; grandchildren, Jessica Lemming (Josh) and Brittany Sloan; great-grandchildren, Allie Grace Lemming, John Bryson Lemming and Jacob Lemming; and several extended family members also survive.

Mr. Mahmarian is preceded in death by his parents and wife, Dorothy Barry Mahmarian.

The funeral arrangements for Mr. John Mahmarian will be held on Saturday, December 14, 2019 at one o'clock in the afternoon at Lighthouse United Pentecostal Church, 5979 Rome Highway, Cedartown, GA 30125 with Rev. Mark Fogarty officiating.  The body will lie in state one hour prior to the funeral hour at the church.  Interment will be on Monday, December 16, 2019 at two o'clock in the afternoon at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, Georgia.

The family of Mr. Mahmarian will receive family and friends on Friday, December 13, 2019 from six o'clock in the evening until eight o'clock in the evening at the Gammage Funeral Home.

The family is accepting flowers; however, donations can also be made to either Lighthouse United Pentecostal Church, 5979 Rome Highway, Cedartown, GA 30125 or Heyman Hospice of Floyd, 255 W. 5th Street, Rome, GA 30161.

Messages of condolence can be made to the family by visiting our website and signing the online guestbook at gammagefh.com.

The Olin L. Gammage and Sons Funeral Home is handling the arrangements for Mr. John Mahmarian.