Mihran Andonian, Carpet Merchant

Mihran Paul Andonian "truly lived the American dream," says one of his sons.

Having survived World War I's "Death March" from Isparta, Turkey, to Aleppo, Syria, he came to the United States a penniless orphan.

But the genial Armenian American came not only to own Pande Cameron & Co. of Seattle, a rug and carpet firm, but also to see his sons and grandsons join the business.

Mr. Andonian died Friday (Nov. 13) of heart failure. He was 93.

"He lived by the Golden Rule, and built something we're trying to emulate," said his son Charles Andonian of Bellevue. "We're in a specialized business where customers can be taken advantage of because they don't know a lot about (imported rugs). You have to be fair.

"Because of him we have several generations of customers, including grandchildren of people he sold rugs to in the 1930s."

Born to an Armenian Orthodox church caretaker and his wife in Isparta, he lost his father and most of his siblings during persecutions of Armenians in Turkey during World War I. A missionary from Olympia paid for him and another boy to come to the United States.

But he wound up in the U.S. without a sponsor. Instead, outside an Armenian restaurant in Manhattan, he met a California grape-grower who took the boy to his ranch to work and go to school.

Mr. Andonian graduated from high school in Fresno, Calif., and moved to Seattle in 1925. In 1929 he earned a business administration degree at the University of Washington.

"He went to the Pande Cameron store, which was founded in 1924, and they gave him a job on the spot," his son said. "He bought the Seattle store in 1955 and owned it until 1975, when he retired."

Mr. Andonian built the business by traveling to meet with rug makers. He also kept close watch on the books and made it a family business.

"Family was most important to him since he had lost his own," said his son Paul Andonian of Bellevue. "His was the dream of what can happen in America. . . . He worked extra hard because he always had done so to survive. And he was patient about it."

Mr. Andonian supported Armenian causes in the U.S. and abroad. He also enjoyed meetings of the Rotary Club of Seattle.

Mr. Andonian also traveled with his wife of 65 years, Emily Andonian of Mercer Island.

He also liked to golf and reportedly shot his age when he was 89.

Also surviving are his son Greg Andonian of Mercer Island, 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Services are at 3 p.m. Sunday at Plymouth Congregational Church, Sixth Avenue and University Street, Seattle.

Remembrances may go to Armenian Missionary Association of America, 31 W. Century Road, Paramus, N.J. 07652; or to Swedish Medical Center Home Health and Hospice, 5701 Sixth Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98108.

Carole Beers' phone message number is 206-464-2391. Her e-mail address is: cbeers@seattletimes.com