Glendale athlete killed in ATV crash in Armenia

A young Glendale athlete who was killed in an ATV accident over the weekend in Armenia representing his hometown just days before the annual Pan-Armenian Games is being remembered for his good-natured spirit and commitment to volunteerism.

Levon Thomas was only 20 years old, but according to family and friends had achieved a great deal as a soccer player, basketball player and as a Scout leader through his local chapter of Homenetmen, a nonprofit Armenian organization.

Thomas was born in Glendale and graduated from Glendale High School two years ago. He was most recently attending Glendale Community College and worked as a lifeguard at the pool at Pacific Community Center.

Hovig Chahinian, chairperson of the organization’s Los Angeles chapter, said he’d known Thomas since he was a boy, watched him grow up and coached him in soccer.

He described Thomas as an ambitious team player who respected everyone, always had a smile on his face and would go out of his way to help others.

“He was a model Scout and an ideal teammate, an overall unique individual,” Chahinian said. “Homenetmen teaches you to rise and raise others with you. Levon was one that exemplified the true vision of what Homenetmen is.”

Chahinian’s brother, Arshag, was Thomas’ former Scout leader and soccer coach. He recalled the young man as someone who would never say no to an opportunity to help out.

Chris Eskandarian, athletic director for the Los Angeles chapter and Thomas’ older cousin, echoed those sentiments.

“Levon was just the perfect example of an athlete, of a player, of a teammate that any team in a Homenetmen organization needs to have,” Eskandarian said. “Every team needs to have somebody like Levon on their team for there to be a team.”

Thomas and 17 other young athletes representing the city of Glendale flew to Armenia last week for the sixth annual Pan-Armenian Games to compete in soccer. Thomas played defense in the left-back and right-back positions. Thomas died on Saturday while in Tsaghkhadzor.

Thomas’ father, Aram, athletic director for Homenetmen Western USA regional Committee, was en route to the games and was contacted about his son’s death while on a layover in Moscow, Chahinian said.

Levon Thomas also leaves behind his younger brother, Shahe, who was also on that trip to Armenia, younger sister, Lara, and mother, Lena, who both remained at home in Glendale.

Chahinian said Levon Thomas spent a lot of time at his father’s auto shop helping out and that a lot of his personal traits were passed down to him from his parents.

Serge Grakasian, chairman of the soccer committee for Homenetmen’s Ararat chapter who helped assemble the team, said the local soccer players will continue to play in the games without the teammate they lost.

It was Aram Thomas who told them they should push forward and carry on.

“He talked to the kids and said, ‘you guys are here for the tournament, so you have to go and play for your teammate, play for yourself, play for your organization and play for your parents,’” Grakasian said. “That helped a lot. Probably Aram was the only one that could have said that.”

Chahe Thomas, who played on a different team, wore his older sibling’s No. 5 jersey during a match on Tuesday.

Funeral arrangements and memorial services are pending, Eskandarian said.

Hovig Chahinian said what Levon Thomas achieved in his short life is what many wish they could attain in a full lifetime — and that will be a part of his legacy.

“We can point to him and tell the next generation it can be done this way, it can be done the right way, it can be done in a way where you, as an individual, don’t come first, your surroundings do,” he said.