In Memory of Melkon Yessaillian

Melkon Yessaillian, a longtime resident of Westwood, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully at home on March 10, 2021. He was 91 years old. He was born in the wheat fields of historic Armenia to Aghavni and Garabed Yessayan, who were miraculous survivors of the Armenian Genocide. His father baptized him in the Euphrates River. After his birth, his parents fled to Aleppo, Syria seeking a better future. To their surprise, they faced tremendous hardship due to a lack of employment opportunities for Christian minorities. Despite this, his parents never gave up hope. The eldest of five surviving children, Melkon lived a life of courage, compassion, perseverance and faith. When he was six years old, he attended the Calouste Gulbenkian School for Armenian children. His father convinced the admissions board that his son had innate talent and showcased his beautiful calligraphy handwriting. At Gulbenkian, Melkon mastered the French language and was awarded the Prix de L’Alliance Francaise, the top student of French among all students in his grade in the city of Aleppo. When he was 11 years old, Melkon was admitted to the prestigious Mekhitarian Armenian Catholic School, which was reserved for elite families. With no money to pay for his tuition, his mother told the head priest that she was Catholic and recounted stories of her father regularly hosting Armenian nuns at their home before the Genocide. Though he was the top of his class, Melkon was forced to drop out of school at age 15 to support his struggling family. He took a job at a textile factory where he worked on a loom in solidarity for five years–12 hours a day, six days a week for five dollars a week while relying on a kerosene lantern as his only source of light. He did this until the Syrian Army drafted him. After the Syrian Army, Melkon worked in Baniyas, Syria for Iraq Petroleum. Discovering that the company would send young employees to London for 12 months of training, Melkon taught himself English, relying on a dictionary and practicing his vocabulary nightly with a friend. He was fluent within three months. After reciting his favorite poem (Rudyard Kipling’s “If”) to his manager, he was granted the opportunity to go to London. In 1956, he returned to Syria only to face repeated interrogations by the Syrian Secret Police, who thought he was a spy for the British government because he lived in London and spoke perfect English. Fearful that he was going to be falsely accused and jailed for life, Melkon decided to come to America for the sake of his family, who continued to rely on his support. He immigrated to the United States on a student visa. Upon arriving in Boston, Melkon attended Newman Prep. He subsequently carried a full engineering course load at Wentworth Institute, while working the night shift as a medical orderly at the Peter Bent Brigham hospital. During this time, he continued to send a portion of his earnings to his family in Syria. One night, he befriended an Armenian patient at the hospital who led him to meeting his future wife Arpi. With family as his highest priority in life, he and Arpi helped Melkon’s parents and siblings immigrate to Toronto during the early years of their marriage. They made their home in Westwood. He enjoyed a career that included many years as a nuclear and construction engineer at Boston Edison. Devoted to his community, Melkon served his church as a member of its board of trustees, a Sunday school teacher and principal of the Armenian school. He helped many newly arrived Armenian immigrants to the Boston area get their start in the US through various acts of kindness. Living a life of humility, Melkon’s children only learned about their father’s good deeds many years later through stories told by those he had helped. Melkon had an incredible way with words and counsel as many sought his wisdom when faced with big decisions or troubled times. An infectious smile, love of life and a “green thumb” were his signature trademarks. He relished nurturing his vegetable garden and fruit trees at his home in Westwood. He never missed an opportunity to celebrate a family milestone by coaxing Arpi to host a party in their backyard filled with a large crowd, lots of love and his famous shish kebab. One of his greatest legacies was teaching his children the true definition of success, as exemplified by the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote: To laugh often and much To win the respect of intelligent people & the affection of children To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty To find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded. Melkon made many lives breathe easier. His boundless enthusiasm for life, his eternal happiness and sunny outlook stem from the lessons he learned growing up in a situation which most people would consider hopeless. He leaves behind his loving wife Arpi (Hachikian) and his devoted children: Gary Yessaillian and his wife Lina of Westwood, Ani Yessaillian of Boston, and Seta Davidian and her husband Raymond of Watertown. He was the loving grandfather of Michael and Andrea Yessaillian and Gregory and Nairi Davidian. Devoted brother to Sarkis Asailian and Avo Asailian of Toronto, Margaret Asailian of Natick and the late Azniv Poladian. He leaves behind two generations of loving nieces and nephews. Funeral services were private due to gathering restrictions. Expressions of sympathy may be made in his memory to St. Stephen’s Armenian Church, 38 Elton Ave., Watertown, MA 02472 or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. For the online guestbook, please visit www.giragosianfuneralhome.com

In Memory of Melkon Yessaillian

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