When an earthquake in December 1988 killed thousands and devastated the northwestern region of what then was the Soviet Republic of Armenia, Bob Semonian sprang into action.
As a founding director of a Greater Boston coalition to aid victims, he used his natural instinct for networking to help generate hundreds of thousands of dollars for humanitarian relief.
A supporter of numerous Armenian civic and community organizations, and a Massachusetts delegate to eight Republican National Conventions, Mr. Semonian used his connections to arrange for air travel for a medical team from Colorado to Armenia, his parents’ native land.
“Bob had an incredible knack for getting things done through his vast network of personal contacts and he had incredible recall,’’ said his close friend and fellow coalition member Paul Boghosian. “Once he set his mind to solving a problem, he’d go through his mental Rolodex and through his persistence, find the right person at just the right time.’’
Mr. Semonian, a former chairman of the Watertown Republican Town Committee and a lifelong Watertown resident, died of colon cancer June 22 in Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He was 77.
A state campaign chairman for Republican presidential candidates Patrick J. Buchanan and Pat Robertson, Mr. Semonian was treasurer and part-owner of the family-owned publication The Improper Bostonian magazine.
“Bob will be fondly remembered in Massachusetts politics for his contagious spirit and kindness that lit up every room he entered,’’ said Governor Charlie Baker, a Republican. “He was well informed on the issues and mastered the way to participate in political discourse to make a positive difference.’’
Buchanan and his sister and former national campaign manager, Bay Buchanan, said Mr. Semonian was a tireless and highly motivated supporter for causes he believed in.
“He had a certain joie de vivre, a love of life and he was intensely loyal. In supporting me, he broke off from the Republican establishment, and that took a lot of guts,’’ Patrick Buchanan said.
“Before he became my campaign manager in Massachusetts in 1996, he did a lot of hard work for us when we won the Republican primary in New Hampshire,’’ said Buchanan, who in ensuing years would send autographed copies of his books to Mr. Semonian — who in turn insisted on paying for the books and the postage, before presenting them to friends.
Bay Buchanan, who named Mr. Semonian Massachusetts campaign chairman, said he “did it all for us – making major donations, working the phones, and even picking up Pat at the airport – and never needed direction. His support was relentless, and when you lost, he was still with you. Pat and I were privileged to have him as a friend.’’
Mr. Semonian’s brother, Leon, who lives in Newton and is majority owner of The Improper Bostonian, said Mr. Semonian’s involvement in campaigning began as a Watertown High School student running for class office.
“Bob was working for a local dry cleaner and he put a sign on his delivery truck that read, ‘Semo for Treasurer.’ He was intrigued by politics and people,’’ Leon said.
Mr. Semonian supported the candidacies of Massachusetts Republican governors William Weld, Mitt Romney, and Baker with an emphasis on organizing ethnic groups. He was also Massachusetts state vice chairman and nationalities chairman for Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaigns.
Bob Avakian, whom Mr. Semonian encouraged to run for office in Bedford, told the Armenian Mirror-Spectator in 2015 that “no one knew more elected officials and key operational people in the conservative political spectrum.’’
Mr. Semonian, Avakian said, “initiated the GOP candidacy of many office holders.’’ Avakian added that no one “was more adept at structuring campaigns and identifying issues and strategies than Bob Semonian.’’
Among his many efforts on behalf of the Armenian community, Mr. Semonian recruited more than 80 members to the Knights of Vartan Ararat Lodge, and his legacy gift to that cultural and historical preservation organization will provide funds for supporting public schools in Armenia.
He was also a longtime member at St. James Armenian Apostolic Church in Watertown, where he was vice president of the Men’s Club and arranged for guest speakers at monthly dinner meetings that drew as many as 500 people.
Speakers included Berj Najarian, the New England Patriots’ director of football/head coach administration, and Mark Geragos, a California criminal defense attorney who has handled many high-profile cases.
“Bob grew up within the St. James community, following the example of his father, a deacon and one of the founding pillars of this parish,’’ said the Rev. Arakel Aljalian, the church’s pastor. “He had a passion for wanting to strengthen the attachment of prominent Armenians to their heritage and people by inviting them to speak at St. James.’’
Aljalian said that even while in the hospital, Mr. Semonian wanted to talk more about the church’s well-being than his own health.
“He sacrificed his time and used his talent for the benefit of St James and I am extremely grateful for his leadership, his accomplishments, and his dedication to the church,’’ Aljalian said. “He has left a lasting legacy on our community.’’
Robert Alexander Semonian was the youngest of four siblings whose parents, Leon and Veron, had immigrated to the United States.
A 1957 graduate of Watertown High School, “Semo’’ was described in his yearbook as “studious, kind and sincere . . . a boy who will get somewhere in life.’’
Mr. Semonian was on the cross-country, baseball, and track teams, played in the school band, and was a member of the publicity and camera clubs. He graduated from the University of Miami and worked as an accountant and sales representative.
Photos were sometimes a calling card for Mr. Semonian when he attended political and social events. “Bob would reach into his pocket for pictures of himself with presidents or other national celebrities, and that opened doors for him,’’ Boghosian said. “He made you feel good to be in his presence in a genuinely empathetic way, and he enjoyed talking to young people and encouraging them to be open to the world and to new experiences.’’
A service has been held for Mr. Semonian, who in addition to his brother, Leon, leaves a brother, Suren of North Kingstown, R.I.
Burial was at Ridgelawn Cemetery in Watertown.
His niece Wendy Semonian Eppich, who is publisher of The Improper Bostonian, said he often took copies with him on the road and would have celebrities pose with the magazine.
“But most of all Uncle Bob loved his family,’’ she said. “He was so interested in and inquisitive with his grand-nieces and nephews. He saw the uniqueness in each of their personalities and was always there for them.’’
Marvin Pave can be reached at marvin.pave@rcn.com.
