“It is with great sadness and heavy hearts“, the Board of Ataturk Society of America has informed of its members along with the Turkish-American Community at large with the following message:
“The Chairman and the Founding President of the Ataturk Society of America, HÜDAİ YAVALAR has passed away early this morning (August 14, 2020).

“OUR GREAT LOSS”

“We extend our most heartfelt condolences to his dear wife Mirat Yavalar and his dear son Ata Yavalar, his whole family and all those who knew him. Hüdai Yavalar was a true ‘Child of the Republic‘, one of the greatest defenders of the principles and revolutions of the Great Leader Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, whom he adhered to throughout his life.

‘Spreading the ever shining light of Ataturk’s ideals…’

His ever present energy and enthusiasm, his unique views, his diligence and ideas in spreading the ever shining light of Ataturk’s ideals will always brighten our ways into a better future for our homeland.
It is an honor for us to keep defending the principles that Hüdai Yavalar put his life on track.
We extend our most heartfelt condolences again to his dear family. He will forever remain in our hearts.
May he rest in peace!“
– Board of Directors of Ataturk Society of America

* * *

(In Türkçe)
“ACI KAYBIMIZ

Ataturk Society of America, HÜDAİ YAVALAR’ı kaybettik. Başta değerli eşi Mirat Yavalar ve değerli evladı Ata Yavalar, ve Yavalar ailesinin tüm değerli üyeleri olmak üzere, hepimizin başı sağ olsun.

Ataturk Society of America / Amerika Atatürk Derneği – ASA’nın kurucusu ve Onursal Başkanı, derneğimizin temeli, ışığı, Demirbaşımız, Çınar’ımız, Dostumuz, Ağabeyimiz HÜDAİ YAVALAR 14 Ağustos Cuma günü sabahın ilk saatlerinde vefat etmiştir.

Üzüntümüz tarifsiz. Hüdai Yavalar gerçek bir Cumhuriyet çocuğu, Atatürk genci, yaşamı boyunca tüm varlığıyla bağlı kaldığı Büyük Önder Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’ün ilke ve devrimlerinin en büyük savunucularından biri; ve eşsiz görüşleri, çalışkanlığı ve fikirleriyle Atatürkçülüğün ışığını çevresine yaymış enerji kaynağımızdı.

Hüdai Yavalar’ın ömrünü yoluna koyduğu ilkeleri, onun layık olduğu biçimde savunmak bizler için onurdur, onun bize en büyük anısı olacaktır. Hüdai Yavalar’ın bizlere ve ABD Başkentine bıraktığı eşi olmayan armağanı Atatürk Heykeli, onun hayatını adadığı değerlerin en anlamlı kanıtıdır.

Hüdai agabeyimizin büyük bir özenle bakımını yaptığı, kendi elleriyle neredeyse hergün çiçeklerini sulayıp, ATA’sına saygılarını sunduğu Atatürk Heykeline bundan sonra sunacağımız çiçekler, Hüdai Yavalar’ın Atatürk ve vatan sevgisinin de sembolleri olacaktır. Değerli eşi Mirat Yavalar ve değerli oğlu Ata Yavalar’a başsağlığı diliyoruz.

Ataturk Society of America’nın ilk kuruluş fikirleri yeşermeye başladığından beri eşinin en büyük destekçisi olmuş, 25 yıldır da ASA’nın temel direği olan can dostumuz, ASA Yönetim Kurulu üyesi Mirat arkadaşımız; ve çocukluğundan beri ASA’nın en büyük destekçisi, babasının sağ kolu, hepimizin gururu sevgili Ata’nın acısını yürekten paylaşıyoruz.

Hüdai Yavalar’ı tanımak ve dostu olmak çok büyük bir onur ve mutluluktu…
Sonsuza dek birlikteyiz…Aynı yüreği taşıyanlar asla ayrılmazlar.
YOLUN IŞIKLARLA DOLU OLSUN….
–– Ataturk Society of America Yönetım kurulu Üyeleri“

IN RESPECTFUL MEMORY OF MR. HÜDAİ YAVALAR

Words cannot express the sorrow that I felt on reading out about
Founder and the Chairman of Ataturk Society of America
Mr. HÜDAİ YAVALAR‘s passing.

I had an opportunity to meet with Mr. Hüdai Yavalar as first during the Ataturk Society of America’s Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day (May 19) program, which also celebrated it as Ataturk’s Birthday at Cosmos Club in W.D.C. in 2013.

Following the program, there was a reception at the Yavalars’ residence with all the attendees of the program. At their residence, I was impressed the most by a room that is specifically designed and dedicated to Atatürk.

Ataturk Society printed a monthly magazine called, “Atatürk“, in which, I started receiving it through the regular mail in the following months and years.

That wasn’t the only one…
I attended one more to another May 19 event at the Cosmos Club in W.D.C.

In 2016, I was invited to attend to the Board Meeting of the Ataturk Society of America (ASA) to provide an overview to its Board on the importance of the association with the United Nations Department of Global Communications* as a U.S. base Turkish-American Civil Society Organization (on October 4).

It was an honor and privileged being invited for sharing about The Light Millennium’s experience at the UN (since 2005) with the Board of the ASA.

ATATÜRK’s 100th Centenary

During the meeting, the discussions were focused on Atatürk’s 100 Birth Centenary at the UN in 1981, UNESCO’s Resolution* on that along with ASA’s ongoing works and programs in correlation with the United Nations’ Visions, the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and ongoing programs.

Followed by that particular Board Meeting, Ataturk Society of America, has completed and submitted its Application Form to the United Nations towards association, which was approved, and joined in the UN Civil Society Community in 2017.

On my arrival to W.D.C., I was curious to visit the Sculpture of Atatürk before the Board Meeting, in which Mrs. Yavalar was very kind, who took me there. The following titled “ATATÜRK: “PEACE AT HOME, PEACE IN THE WORLD“ photo album was produced based on that brief visit of W.D.C. Now, I’d like to dedicate it to:
In Respectful Memory of Mr. Hüdai Yavalar

* * *

Prior to May 19, 2013 program of Ataturk Society of America at Cosmos Club, the ASA sponsored of the “Pioneer of the Millennium Development Goals: Atatürk” (short: MDGs & Atatürk) titled, a two-day international conference at Stevens Insitute of Technology (SIT) in Hoboken on April 19-20, 2013. The conference was led by The Light Millennium Organization and hosted by SIT. This was a unique collaboration that followed other similar forms of collaborations in the following years.

We will never forget such unique and valuable supports during the most critical and needed times. The outcome of the “MDGs and Atatürk” conference lives, and will be living through the LM website.

Mr. Yavalar has been, and will be a role model to all Turkish-Americans, specifically, to young generations who are feeling as the grand-children of Ataturk, and willing towards working to protect, defend and sustain vision and principles of Ataturk, as well as proud being born as a Turkish-citizen.

We extend our most heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Mirat Yavalar and his son Ata Yavalar along with the Board of Directors of the Ataturk Society of America.

May he rest in peace!

– Bircan Ünver, The Light Millennium

_ . _

About Hüdai Yavalar

[*] Formerly, United Nations Department of Public Information
Website: United Nations Civil Society

[*] UNESCO Records of the General Conference Twentieth Session Paris, 24 October to 28 November 1978 Volume I Resolutions
(Paris: United Nations, 1979), p. 69.

2016 – Photo Album:
“ATATÜRK: “PEACE AT HOME, PEACE IN THE WORLD“

• Outcome of the “Pioneer of the Millennium Development Goals: Atatürk” Conference (MDGs & Atatürk):
http://www.lightmillennium.org/ataturk/2013/conference.html

• FULL REPORT ON THE PIONEER OF THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS: ATATÜRK
Two-Day International Conference – April 19-20, 2013
ATATÜRK’S VISION LIVES THROUGH THE UNITED NATIONS
http://www.lightmillennium.org/ataturk/2013/report-april19-20.pdf

ATAA Mourns the Passing of Mr. Hudai Yavalar, Founder and Chairman of Atatürk Society of America