Samuel Semon Pashigian

Samuel Semon Pashigian – strong, fearless, and proud - of Kalkaska, passed away at the age of 70 on Friday, November 16, 2012. He succumbed to the ravages of cancer and pneumonia in Traverse City at Munson Medical Center. Sam was born on January 6, 1942 in Detroit to proud parents Nicholas and Clara and welcomed by big brother, Anthony Kenneth. He attended Thurston High School, in Redford and provided a constant source of mischief with friends like Wally Geminiani. On April 12, 1965 Sam married his young love, O-Lan Broskey and they went on to give birth to their son Anthony and daughter Karen. He worked many different jobs and careers in his life. He worked in a car factory, was a brick layer, managed a bowling alley (Score Lanes), sold clothes out of the back of a van, played cards (yes, at times, he considered this an occupation), and owned a bar with his brother (The Old Mill Garden) before settling down to opening hobby shops in Livonia, Wayne, Ypsilanti and Traverse City. The most prominent was Pashigian’s Stamps and Coins in the Livonia Mall; the most formative was World Wide Exchange and Collectibles in Wayne; and the most current is Stadium Cards and Comics in Ypsilanti. In the 1980’s, Sam hired a young Mark Fenwick to work in the store. Mark still runs Stadium and, for all intents and purposes, has become Sam’s 3rd child. Sam taught character by example. He stood by O-Lan through 21 years of serious illness before she passed in 1999. The lessons of his conduct still serve as a guide to all who knew him. After O-Lan’s passing, with Anthony and Karen grown and Mark running the store, Sam took advantage of a rare opportunity to start fresh. He started a transition to what he considered the more simple life of Northern Michigan and more frequently visited his cottage in Kalkaska until it became his new home. Sam had the good fortune to meet Sue Vowels in Kalkaska. They became very close and went on to marry on August 9, 2003. If it’s rare to find a perfect match once in a man’s life, Sam defied all of fate’s odds when he and Sue found each other. He was immediately at home with his new stepdaughters, Clarissa and JoAnn, and forged remarkably close relationships with their husbands Scott and Ross, respectively. Sam transformed from “city” to “country” with great pleasure. He loved to ride his tractor, cultivate and make homemade syrup, garden, host gatherings at the fire pit, entertain his grandkids with “up North” activities, have friends up for deer (beer) hunting and speak with pride about his family – new and old. He was nuts. He was your full tilt, jump in with both feet, damn the torpedoes friend. He assumed the best in everybody. Sam was rewarded by fate for his lessons of character with his first wife’s illness when he, himself, became sick. While his whole family and all of his friends would do anything for him, he was blessed to have his new wife, Sue, who so selflessly and physically cared for him right up to his last labored breath. Sam is survived by his wife, Sue Vowels; his brother Anthony Kenneth; his son Anthony (Rhonda); daughter Karen; stepdaughter Clarissa (Scott) Kniss; and stepdaughter Jo Ann (Ross) DeGraaf; grandchildren Tyler, Lukas, Samantha, Nicholas, Devon, Kaitlyn, Cameron, Dallas, Britney (Brian),Tyler, 4 great grandchildren, as well as countless extended family members, friends and his two beloved dogs. Arrangements have been entrusted to Kalkaska Funeral Home. Visitation will be Sunday, Nov. 18 from 5-8pm at Kalkaska Funeral Home, 152 S. Cedar St., Kalkaska. Reverend Kimberland Hough will officiate the funeral service on Monday, Nov. 19 at noon, with visitation one hour prior, also at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to North Country Hospice or Kalkaska Moose Lodge# 2348. Sam Pashigian – strong, fearless, proud – “You’ll Never Walk Alone”.

Samuel Semon Pashigian

January 6, 1942 - November 16, 2012