Grigor Peter Grigorov

Obituary
GRIGOR PETER GRIGOROV
ITHACA - Grigor Peter Grigorov, 80, of 629 Coddington Rd., died Thursday at home, surrounded by family. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn; sons, Peter and Matthew of Ithaca; son, Marc of Forest Grove, Oregon, and Andrew of Worcester, Massachusetts; their wives, Sarah, Liisa and Judy; grandchildren, Grigor, Nikolai, Marianna, Ruth, Jaana, Albert, Marc, Sarah, Benjamin; and sister, Maria.Grigor was born in Svilengrad, Bulgaria in 1925. After the Russian army came into Bulgaria in 1946 and a Communist government took over, he and three friends escaped on foot across the border into Greece. Based on Voice of American broadcasts, they expected to join with the American army there and return to liberate Bulgaria. Instead they were interned for two years on the island of Siros, and then in Italy for two years. From there he escaped on foot across the Alps to freedom in France. He attended the Sorbonne and the Alliance Francaise on scholarships from the French government. In 1952, he met Carolyn Johnson of Nebraska, also a student in Paris. In 1954 they married, and in 1955 they left Paris for Ithaca. Grigor opened a small, very modern, furniture store in 1956 called Contemporary Trends on Aurora St. It grew gradually, and in 1969 the current building on the corner of Seneca and Aurora Streets was constructed.Grigor was known for his fast two mile uphill walk home from work, his enthusiasm for hockey, soccer, fishing, gardening, for his good eye and severe standards for design, and his enjoyment of friends and family. Donations in his memory may be made to Hospicare of Tompkins County or the Red Cross.Friends are invited to an open house at his home from 5-7 p.m., Saturday, February 25, 2006.