Armand Allen Scala, a prominent member of the Orthodox Church in America’s Romanian Episcopate, fell asleep in the Lord peacefully at Arlington Hospital on the morning of October 5, 2011, after a long illness.
Born in 1941 in Alberta, Canada of Romanian parents — his father was an Orthodox priest — he and his family moved over the next 20 years to various parishes in Nebraska, Michigan and Massachusetts. In 1960, they moved to Washington, DC, where his father was the founding priest at Holy Cross Church, Alexandria, VA. After serving as an exhibit guide with the US Information Agency in Romania in 1963, he completed his BA in Government and Political Science at American University in 1965 and completed post-graduate studies in International Finance. From there he pursued a successful career in finance and investment, starting his own firm in 1982.
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1990 and the end of the Ceausescu regime activated Armand’s strong affection for Romanians and Romania. He founded the Congress of Romanian Americans [CORA] in 1991 to assist Romania in its integration into the Western alliance. As President of CORA, he was instrumental in pressing Congress and the Clinton and Bush administrations, ultimately successfully, to support Romania’s admission to NATO. At the same time, he was a cofounder of the Central and Eastern European Coalition, representing 18 ethnic organizations. Additionally, he served as vice president of the Romanian American Chamber of Commerce. For his untiring efforts, he received numerous awards, including the National Order of Merit, rank of Commander, from the President of Romania in 2004.
Throughout his life he was a passionate supporter of the Orthodox community in Washington, DC. He was a founding member in 1987 of Saint Mary Church in Falls Church, VA, serving for many years as council president. He sang with both the church’s choir and the Pan-Orthodox Madrigal Choir of Washington, which performed at the White House, Kennedy Center, Supreme Court, and the National Cathedral. In 1975, he was founder and president of the Festival of Choirs, representing 25 local Orthodox parishes. During the past 20 years, he has brought numerous Romanian choirs and other cultural groups to the US. In all of his endeavors, his generosity of spirit, sense of diplomacy, and good humor came through and endeared him to many.
Mr. Scala is survived by his wife of 45 years, Christina Y. Scala; their son, Armand A. Scala II; his sister, Antoinette Scala Robertson, and her husband, Thomas; his stepbrother, Rudolph W. Ficken, Jr. and his wife, Jill; a nephew, Thomas G. Robertson; and a niece, Elizabeth R. Wallar.
Funeral services will be held at Saint Mary Church, 7223 Roosevelt Ave., Falls Church, VA, on October 10 at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington.
May Armand’s memory be eternal!
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