Antranik Andre Biklian (known as Andre) died peacefully on November 12, 2022 in Bakersfield, California.  He was 87 years old.   Andre is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Marguerite (nee Hoonanian) Biklian, children Greg Biklian, Andrea Biklian and Cynthia Trevarthen, 2 grandchildren Jessica Luper and Matthew Biklian, and 5 great grandchildren.  He was deeply loved and enjoyed a good life, despite many challenging circumstances, especially in his early years.  Andre was a loving and loyal man. Though he will be missed, he has by the Lord's grace been freed from physical pain and dementia into everlasting peace.

Andre was born in a suburb of Lyon, France on November 8, 1935 to Artin Biyiklian and Miriam (nee Kinosian) Biyiklian, who had been direct victims of the atrocities of the Armenian Genocide in the early decades of the 1900s.  They lost most of their family members and fled to France, which received them and many other Armenians as refugees.  Their ultimate goal of being reunited with siblings, who were already well established in Fresno, California, was delayed because the United States severely restricted the number of Armenians allowed to immigrate at the time (quota system).

Starting when Andre was 4 years old, Nazi Germany invaded and occupied the Lyon region of France.  Circumstances forced him to become a "latchkey kid" and fend for himself during the day throughout his childhood.  He did attend school, where he first learned French having spoken Armenian at home, but after an ninth grade education he was moved to a trade school to learn tailoring, which served as his livelihood for the rest of his life.

At age 17, Andre immigrated to the U.S. as a French citizen and shortly afterwards was able to bring his parents over to finally be reunited with family after 30 years.  He was very proud to become an American Citizen, he changed his name from Biyiklian to Biklian.

Andre told his family he learned his third language, English, "by going to the movies." Soon after his arrival, he moved from Fresno to San Francisco, where he would have more opportunities to gain meaningful employment as a tailor.  He worked for some years at Hart, Shaftner, and Marks and later Macy's department store and met his first wife, Joyce Lunde, while cashing his paychecks at the local Bank of America.  She worked as a teller there.  Smitten with her, each week when he went to cash his check, Andre would always choose her line at the Bank.

Andre and Joyce were married in 1957 and raised their 3 children in Pacifica, a suburb of San Francisco.  In 1969, they bought Avenue French Cleaners and Tailoring shop at 2544 San Bruno Ave in the Portola district of San Francisco.  Sadly, Joyce succumbed to cancer in December 1984, leaving Andre a widower.  He owned and operated the shop until his retirement in 1997.

He and his family attended and were active at the Calvary Congregational Armenian Church on Brotherhood Way in San Francisco.  For the last 25 years he has been a regular communicant of the Anglican Church in Bakersfield.  (St. Luke's, St. Paul's and Trinity Anglican Church.)

Andre was a Thirty Second Degree Freemason, a member of the French Mason Lodge in San Francisco until he moved to Bakersfield, and a Scottish Rite member, and a Shriner, and a member of both Golden Gate Chapter #1 Order of the Eastern Star, San Francisco, and Bakersfield Chapter #125 Order of the Eastern Star.  He served as Associate Patron in 1987 and Worthy Patron in 1988.

Andre met Marguerite in 1993 at the funeral dinner for his mother.  (Set up by cousins Ruby Barton and Ana Shamshoian.  The two shared many common interests, including a love for and dedication first to their Church and second fraternally to the Order of Eastern Star.  They were clearly a match and married in June 1995 but lived apart until Andre's retirement, so that Marguerite could retain her employment in the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District in Bakersfield as an elementary school music teacher.  The couple had 27 wonderful years together.

Andre is preceded in death by his parents, his older brother George, and his wife Joyce.

Graveside Funeral services for Andre will be held at the Ararat Armenian Cemetery 1928 West Belmont in Fresno (Northwest corner) on Thursday November 17th at 1:30 pm

A separate Celebration of Life service will be held at Trinity Anglican Church 11300 Campus Park Dr. 93311 in Bakersfield on Tuesday November 29 ^th at 1:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please donate to the:

St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church in Fowler­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­, send checks to:

P.O. Box 246, Fowler, CA 93625 (memo in memory of Andre Biklian)

Or:

Trinity Anglican Church checks to 11300 Campus Park Dr. Bakersfield CA. 93311

In memory of Andre Biklian ( memo line "Building to Bless") or online donations may be made Trinity Anglican Webb site, Donations.