Community advocate Vartanian dies at 74

Uptown Village — Super-volunteer, government watchdog and overall beloved downtown Vancouver mainstay George Vartanian died on July 1 at age 74. The cause was pancreatic cancer. Vartanian, a Connecticut native, married wife Nancy in 1972 and the couple came to Clark County in retirement. They lived near the Fairgrounds and then moved to Anthem Park in Uptown Village. George helped out at the Kiggins Theatre and at the Vancouver Food Co-op; he was often seen enjoying a glass of wine with Nancy at Niche Wine Bar. Vancouver City Councilwoman Anne McEnerny-Ogle called Vartanian “one of the last great community advocates.”