JOSEPH MELIKIAN Obituary

MELIKIAN, Joseph Of Weston, passed peacefully after a long illness. Beloved husband of Anne (Bedrosian) Melikian. Devoted father of Joanne Melikian - Cate and her husband Earl Cate. Loving baba of Sophie, Noah, Milo and Ella. A funeral service will be held at Saint Stephen's Armenian Apostolic Church, 38 Elton Avenue, Watertown on Thursday, February 28 at 11:00 a.m. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. At the request of the family, there are no visiting hours. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Saint Stephen's Armenian Church or Armenia Tree Project, 65 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472. Interment at Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge. Arrangements by Aram Bedrosian Funeral Home, Watertown.

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Published by Boston Globe from Feb. 25 to Feb. 26, 2013.

Memories and Condolences
for JOSEPH MELIKIAN

5 Entries

Joe as a young and very handsome man.

Chady Lakkis

April 23, 2013

I had a dream last night that I walked into Joe's office and he wasn't there. When I woke up, I ran a search for his name and what I found broke my heart. The image attached here is one of Joe as a young man. Before he began managing real estate he was an optometrist, and as he always told me, a darn good one.

I moved to the Massachusetts area in 1999 knowing next to no one. My first landlord was a horrible person that cheated on his wife in my studio while I worked late nights and sometimes into the morning. When I found out I began searching for a new place to live and that is when I met Joe.

I can still remember walking into his office for the first time. This tiny sweater-wearing man sat behind a small desk covered in paperwork with a perfect view of Washington Street over his right shoulder. You could sense his pride without him uttering a single word. He was a content and happy individual. As a landlord, his logic was simple and his approach was minimal -- give a person a place to live that is big enough for them to do what they need to do while still allowing them to, as he would say "still have enough money left to go out and eat steak." The places Joe owned weren't two bedrooms turned into three to make a quick buck. He cared about the quality of the space and he knew that once you saw what he had to offer you would be hooked.

Joe was the most humble and modest person you could imagine. A successful business man who owned multiple properties in New England but never cared about being flashy or impressing others with his wealth. He drove a beat up twenty-year old Buick when he could have been driving pretty much anything he wanted. His nondescript office desk was always cluttered with paperwork and if you asked him why he would tell you "because this way I know where everything is." He had this joke whenever I would ask him a question, he would always start by saying "the answer is no, go ahead." When I started to pack on a few pounds he would tell me in a concerned tone "Chady, do not be offended, but you are putting on some weight."

When I lost my job, Joe allowed me to live there at such a reduced rent that I might as well have been living there for free. I wasn't just a tenant to Joe and he was far more than just a landlord to me.

Over the years he would share many stories with me - far too many for me to recant here. Joe was a wealth of knowledge and a living example of what it means to be a devoted husband, a caring father, a giving grandfather, and selfless human being.

He spoke of his wife as if she was the love of his life, telling me the story of how they met and how fortunate he was to have her. This made a huge impact on me during a very impressionable period. The girl I was dating at the time was not the one for me and Joe didn't have any reservations about telling me either. I sat in his office one day and he said "Chady, don't be upset, but I need to tell you something. When I see you and her walking outside my window, she doesn't walk behind you or next to you, she walks in front of you. She is not the one." He was right. Later on when I met my eventual wife, I introduced her to Joe, and after meeting her he took me aside privately and said "I wouldn't trade her left shoe for the other one." I'll never forget his words and I will never forget him.

I lost touch with Joe over the years but periodically told myself that I would eventually take some time to go back to Wellesley and say hello. To let him know how his kindness helped shape me into the man I am today. Time is fickle and intentions don't mean much if you never act on them.

Joseph Melikian was one of the kindest human beings ever to grace this planet. What he did for others and how he lived his life, should serve as a blueprint for all of us. I am an infinitely better person because of Joe and I am very thankful for having known him.

I love you Joe and I am going to miss our talks.

PAUL SVENSEN

February 26, 2013

Joe was a successful caring man who leaves behind a beautiful loving family. You can't ask for more in a life well played. May he rest in peace.

Selma Grosser

February 26, 2013

Dear Ann:
I met Dr. Melikian when I got contact lenses. He fitted me to my glasses also. He always said the glasses have to fit the bridge of the nose so they won't slip. That advice I have given to numerous people. I missed him when he stopped prescribing glasses but never forgot him. He always came to my mind when I was driving on Route 16 past his office.

I am sorry for your loss. May God comfort you. Selma Grosser

Dotti Burke

February 26, 2013

Dr. Melikian was a truly wonderful man. It was always a pleasure to see him come into the office. He will be truly missed.

DR. JOHN MANUELIAN

February 26, 2013

joe was agood,philanthropic ARMENIAN and very helpful in construction of ACEC.MAY GOD MERIT HIS GOOD WORKS BY GRANTING HIM PEACE AND MERCY.

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