Résumé
Engineer, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1940-1945; Engineer, Los Angeles Building Department, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1945-1947; Engineering Consultant/Principal, John K. Minasian, Structural Engineer, Pasadena, CA, 1947- . In 1961, Minasian maintained an office at 117 East Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. Minasian had seven engineers in his office in 1961: Gary N. Curtis, Henry P. Thompson, John P. McCourt, Jack Jones, King So Luk and P. Silver.
Minasian was Licensed Structural Engineer #522 in the State of California.
College
Coursework, City College of New York (CCNY), New York, NY, c. 1934-1935; B.S., Civli Engineering, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, CA, 1935-c.1938; M.S., Civli Engineering, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, CA, c. 1939.
Relocation
John K. Minasian was of Armenian descent born in Alexandria, Egypt. His family immigrated to the US in 1920, and he spent his formative years living in NJ. He began college at the City College of New York (CCNY), but transferred to the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA, in 1935, where he earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering.
John K. Minasian 1913-2007 John K, Minasian passed away at his home in Dana Point, California on October 20, 2007 at the age of 94. A beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, he loved, mentored and nurtured his family and many others. He is survived by his beloved wife of 68 years, Aurora; son, Lawrence (Christine) of Pasadena; daughter, Brenda Carpenter of Long Beach; grandchildren: Jennifer Trotoux (Marc) of Eagle Rock, David Minasian (Lala) of Yerevan, Armenia, Christopher Carpenter of Long Beach; and two great grandchildren. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, John immigrated to the United States at age 3. He was raised in New Jersey and attended the City College of New York. He moved to Los Angeles in 1935 and became a student at Caltech, earning a B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering. Aurora and John met and were married in 1939 at the Armenian (United Armenian) Congregational Church in Los Angeles. After working during the war years for L.A. Water & Power and the Building Dept., John established a structural engineering practice in 1947. He had a distinguished career and engineered many notable projects including the Space N eedle for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. He was appointed a member of the California Board of Civil & Professional Engineers and served as its president. He was also a professor of engineering at Cal State University, Los Angeles. After living and working in Pasadena and Long Beach for many years, John retired to Orange County. He enjoyed reading history, keeping up with current events, and playing backgammon. During his long life he shared his warmth and love, experiences, insights, humor and values with t hose close to him. A memorial service to celebrate and honor John's life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 27 at Laguna Niguel Presbyterian Church, 30071 Ivy Glenn, Laguna Niguel, CA 92633. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to The Armenian Eyecare Project, P.O. Box 5630, Newport Beach, California 92662 (949) 675-5767 and Laguna Niguel Presbyterian Church (949) 249-1218. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/lbpresstelegram/obituary.aspx?n=john-k-minasian&pid=96787182#sthash.ssgoTlRN.dpuf
Spouse
John Minasian met his wife of 68 years, Aurora, in Los Angeles. They married at that city's Armenian Congregational Church in 1939.
After working during the war years for L.A. Water & Power and the Building Dept., John established a structural engineering practice in 1947. He had a distinguished career and engineered many notable projects including the Space N eedle for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. He was appointed a member of the California Board of Civil & Professional Engineers and served as its president. He was also a professor of engineering at Cal State University, Los Angeles. After living and working in Pasadena and Long Beach for many years, John retired to Orange County. He enjoyed reading history, keeping up with current events, and playing backgammon. During his long life he shared his warmth and love, experiences, insights, humor and values with t hose close to him. A memorial service to celebrate and honor John's life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 27 at Laguna Niguel Presbyterian Church, 30071 Ivy Glenn, Laguna Niguel, CA 92633. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to The Armenian Eyecare Project, P.O. Box 5630, Newport Beach, California 92662 (949) 675-5767 and Laguna Niguel Presbyterian Church (949) 249-1218. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/lbpresstelegram/obituary.aspx?n=john-k-minasian&pid=96787182#sthash.ssgoTlRN.dpuf
Minasian worked as the Structural Engineer for the Seattle Space Needle. Some of his working drawings for this building dated 04/17/1961. He gained professional acclaim for his design and construction of towers, including many radio and television transmission towers. He consulted as a forensic engineering expert on many structural failures.
