Although Diradourian passed away at a young age, he lived a life of adventure. With family, he was known as “Mountain Man,” because when Diradourian was not home, he could be found at his second abode — the mountains. As a passionate biker, he was always on the go, embarking on new journeys and defeating new obstacles. According to his parents, before he had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Diradourian had successfully biked over 1730 miles on the Continental Divide — a journey starting in Montana and ending in New Mexico.

According to teachers, Diradourian was a dedicated student with great potential. “He was a pleasure to have in class, a very attentive and diligent student that always tried his best,” said chemistry teacher Loussik Kassakhian.

English teacher Carol Pettegrew said Diradourian was someone everybody always enjoyed being around. “Haig was a really nice guy,” Pettegrew said. “He was one of those people that always remained calm, and was the mediator of conflicts.”

Diradourian’s memorial service was held on Dec. 29. On his program, there were several quotes and the Bible verse, Psalm 121: A Song of Ascents. His favorite quote, by John Muir, an explorer and the founder of Yosemite, was included in the program: “I went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay till sundown; for going out, I found I was really going in.” This had been Diradourian’s motto.

One of the quotes on the pamphlet was his own: “The fact that this life on Earth appears evanescent and transient in human physical form reminds us that indeed we have been created for something more than our present physical [state].”

His love for the outdoors was evident through his forestry major at Humboldt State University. According to his parents, Diradourian was a straight-A student in college with a scholarship waiting for him.