Ara Karekin Pridjian, beloved husband of
the late Anahid Pridjian, cherished father of Ara, Claudia, and John
passed away on Monday October 15, 2018 at his home in Palos Heights,
Illinois. Ara was born to parents Karekin and Pauline Pridjian on the
south side of Chicago on March 18, 1926. He attended Brenan Elementary
and Fenger High School, and received Bachelor of Philosophy and Master
of Business Administration at the University of Chicago. During college
years he worked at the Museum of Science and Industry as elevator
operator of the coal mine. Ara had a sense of theatrics, and enjoyed
shining his headlight into the eyes of guests, telling them they were
being lowered to the center of the earth. Whether fact or fancy, he
claimed to have demonstrated a penchant for causing the Museum’s model
railroad trains to crash. Ara served in the military, was deployed to
Germany, and was honorably discharged PFC. He ran the family business,
KA Pridjian Rug Company on 116th and Halsted for 50 years. All of his
children and most of his nephews and nieces worked at ‘the store’,
learning important lessons in life as did the men and women who worked
for him. Ara was introduced to the love of his life, Anahad Doumanian,
by her Uncle Hampartzoum Kelikian in 1957. He was smitten, and they were
married a few months later. They lived in Roseland until 1971, then
moved to Palos Heights. Ara and Anahid opened their home and supported
family members as they came to the United States, pursued education and
professions, and became Americans. They loved entertaining, and Ara was
famous for his humor, burning meat on the grill, eating homemade pickles
and drinking Johnnie Walker with his brother- in-law after church, and
making Anahid roll her eyes, shake her head, and say ‘Oh Ara’. With the
University of Chicago as foundation, Ara was a lifelong scholar with
interests in Philosophy, Religion, and Science. He had questions and
opinions, and loved being with educated people with whom he could
disagree. He encouraged his children and grandchildren to study,
achieve, become renaissance women and men, and to have their own
questions and opinions. He was persistent and stubborn, particularly as
related to his sense of what was right. Ara was a Toastmaster, and
attended monthly meetings at the YMCA. First, refining his public
speaking skills, then coaching others as they learned to communicate and
take their places in the community. Ara attended Sts Joachin and Anne
Armenian Apostolic Church. He was president of the United Armenian
Cultural Association, raising awareness of Armenian history and culture
within and outside the community. He loved his family vacations, taking
walks on the beach with his wife, napping under her umbrella, fishing
with his grandchildren, and enjoying nightly excursions for ice cream.
Ara loved his grandchildren. When he was around them he would become
animated, burst into song, and jump up and click his heels. He amused
with stories of how he won the second world war with Eskimo Pies, worked
as a lion tamer, and played professional baseball as Dizzy Dean
Pridjian on the West Pullman Panthers. He and Anahid loved and were
proud of every one of them. Whether it was his opinions or humor or
sense of fairness or being stubborn, Ara affected everyone around him.
He will be deeply missed by his children Ara, Claudia (Levon) Nazarian,
John (Gayane), grandchildren Candice (Mark) Reppell, Andrew, Karekin,
Matthew (Veronica), Daniela, Gregory, Lori, Ani, and great grandson
Grayson. Visitation will be at the Becvar and Son Funeral Home at 5539
W. 127th Street in Crestwood, IL on Friday October 19 from 5 to 9 PM.
Funeral services will be held at Sts Joachim and Anne Armenian Apostolic
Church at 12600 South Ridgeland Avenue, Palos Heights, IL. at 10 AM on
Saturday October 20.
