Dodour “Dodd” Yahnian 

September 5, 1931 – April 8, 2026

Dodour “Dodd” Yahnian was named after his father’s father, Dadour, a name in Armenian that means “gift” or “present.” That fitting name reflected the way Dodd lived his life, as a gift to his family, his friends, and the Visalia community he called home for over nine decades.

Born in Visalia to Aram and Roxie Yahnian at Kaweah Delta Hospital on September 5, 1931, Dodd embodied the values of hard work, loyalty, and deep-rooted stability. Whether building homes with his own hands, teaching the next generation, or simply showing up consistently for those he loved, Dodd's steady presence brought comfort to all who knew him. He died peacefully on April 8, 2026, at the home he built in 1968, and loved so deeply.

Dodd was the second oldest with four sisters: Charlotte (Shocky), Theresa, Louise, and Sharon. His family’s story was one of survival through the Armenian Genocide, with uncles Karnig and Sarkis arriving in the United States in the early 1900s and his father Aram following in 1920. Dodd carried that heritage with deep pride throughout his life, honoring it through family stories and traditions.

Dodd grew up on the family’s 20-acre walnut and grape orchard, a cherished Armenian family enclave alongside his aunts, uncles and cousins living on the adjoining 20-acre farm to the south, with more family nearby to the west and throughout Tulare and Fresno County. His first cousins Sarkis Yahnian and Charles Garabedian were like brothers to him.

From an early age, Dodd showed a natural talent for building, woodworking, tinkering, and hands-on work. He fixed cars with friends, where his mom would serve them lunch, and helped with the family harvest. One day, while helping with a remodeling job near home, his aunt Hanum saw him toiling with a hand saw and suggested a power saw to save time. Dodd took her advice, bought his first skill saw, and never looked back, laying the foundation for his lifelong career in building and construction. Dodd was still buying tools till the day he passed.

A proud Visalia Union High School Class of 1949 member (the 49ers), Dodd cherished his lifelong ties to classmates, actively planning reunions, get-togethers, and monthly lunches well into his later years. Dodd was known to hold numerous offices all through his educational years. He had a knack for public speaking no matter the occasion. His dear friend Pete had spoken to him on Tuesday and they had planned lunch later in the week. His long time friend John said he had been friends with Dodd since 7th grade and grew up near “Sally’s” family farm.

Dodd attended College of the Sequoias and Fresno State College, juggling three jobs as a messenger for banks and offices, cleaning at night all to fund his education. Committed to teaching as well as building, he earned his teaching credential and started at Visalia Union High School (Redwood High School) instructing woodshop and driver’s education from 1954 to 1960. He obtained his contractor’s license in January 1959 and soon resigned from teaching to begin his construction career in 1960. He later returned to teaching in the 1980 and 1990s to teach a construction law night class at COS.

In 1950, Dodd met Michelle “Sally” Findley, the love of his life, and they married on November 24, 1954 at the St. Mary Armenian Church in Yettem. They started in a simple home rented from Michelle’s family, then a bigger home for their growing family near Visalia Cemetery, and eventually to Sowell Street. They welcomed son Steven in November 1955, daughter Janet four years later, and son Marc four years after that. Inspired by Sunset Magazine house plans, they carved an acre from the family orchard to build a home; he finished building their home in 1968, returning to live next door to his parents and his childhood home. Dodd was able to spend a few years as his parents' neighbor, working alongside his father in the family orchard, until his father passed away in 1977 and his mother in 1981.

The 1960s through 1980s overflowed with joyful memories amid family and friends. Dodd grew Dodd Yahnian Construction from a backyard office on Sowell Street into a respected firm, forging a partnership called Joint Ventures with lifelong friends Jim Reese, Gordon Pendegraft, and Ray Schlick to rehab duplexes, built Westlake Village Mobile Home Park, apartments, and more. His children’s lives kept pace with baseball games and dance recitals, along with church and Armenian events, Triple X (joined 1952) and Knights of Vartan gatherings, the AGBU, Mr. and Mrs. Club, Cotillion with Steven (Ann) and the Babigian family, picnics at Mooney Grove and Cutler Park, clamming trips to Pismo, camping at Dinkey Creek, and taking his children to Armenian Church Camp at Sugar Pine. His children remember long driving trips to Oregon, Washington, and Idaho to visit friends and family, including his sister-in-law, Jeanne and family. Dodd and Sarkis traveled many a mile in their jeeps to the Knights of Vartan outings at Dinkey Creek. Dodd had many shared stories of escapades with cousin Charlie too.

As the years passed, Dodd and Michelle watched their children graduate from high school and college, where they built lives of their own. Steven married Ann, Janet married Jonathan, and Marc later returned home to work alongside his father in the family business. Together, Dodd and Marc continued building the company until Dodd’s retirement in the 2000s. Even when retired, Dodd found ways to stay in the industry, taking up custom cabinetry and other types of woodworking projects that brought him endless satisfaction.

In the 1990s, Dodd became “Grampie” and Michelle became “Grammie” with the arrival of their three granddaughters: Jenna in 1991, Jessica in 1996, and Jillian in 1999. Dodd loved telling the story of the night in June 1991 when he was on his way with Jim to a wrestling match at the Fresno Convention Center and had to make a slight detour because his first granddaughter decided it was time to arrive. He and Michelle became wonderful grandparents, always finding a reason to drive to Fresno or babysit in Visalia and spend time with the girls. At their home in Visalia, they created a play area with homemade blocks made from scraps in Grampie’s shop. Jenna remembered spending all day with Grammie and then welcoming Grampie home from work in the evening, when he would kick off his work boots, pinch her cheeks with a big kiss, and get down on the floor to admire what she had built.

The 2000s brought both new projects and new challenges. After retiring, Dodd welcomed the chance to help his son-in-law Jonathan renovate a new home, which brought him and Michelle to Fresno often. Dodd and Marc wrapped up their business venture, and Dodd and Michelle began preparing for the travel they had long planned. Sadly, Michelle faced two cancer battles and eventually passed away in July 2008. After 58 years together, including 54 years of marriage, Dodd found himself without his precious wife and loving partner. Even then, he stayed busy through his grandchildren’s schedules, trips, church camp driving duties, college visits to Chicago and New York. During the New York trip, Dodd grew tired during a family tour of the Empire State Building, slipped away without a word, and strolled all the way back to the hotel (classic Dodd) while the family spent the afternoon searching for him. Aside from traveling, he especially enjoyed attending sporting events with his brother-in-law Richard. He also cherished time spent with friends and family including his Sunday visits with his good friend Zabi.

By the 2010s, Dodd began traveling far, from time spent in Australia visiting his brother-in-law Bill and wife Carolyn, to his trips to Las Vegas, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and to Hawaii to attend Marc and Leslie’s wedding. One of his last major trips before 2020 was to a building convention in Las Vegas. In the years that followed, friends and family continued to get him out and about: from drives through the countryside, community functions to Triple X dinners with his son Steven. In 2025, he was overjoyed to attend a Garabedian family reunion in Kingsburg. Though age eventually caught up with Dodd, he never complained, and his mind and wit remained sharp to the end.

Dodd found happiness in the simple rhythms of his days: morning coffee and a pastry at the kitchen table with Junior, his sidekick, tinkering in his shop, and working through the puzzles of his latest projects. As his macular degeneration progressed, he came to rely on the steady care and support of his caregivers, Junior, Miguel, and Bebe. Shauna, his bookkeeper of 25 years spent time preparing meals for Dodd and keeping him company. He loved his cat Tigre, looked forward to raising his new kitten Socks, and took comfort in the presence of his backyard chickens, Charlene and Henrietta. In his final week, he filled his days with laughter, stories, and time spent caring for his animals. On his last day, he shared a quiet moment in the sunshine with his daughter, speaking with love of his Michelle and how not a day passed that he did not miss her.

Dodd was immensely proud of his children and grandchildren and deeply grateful for the care and companionship of those who supported him in his later years. On the night before his passing, he shared the story of his life from his father’s arrival in the United States to his childhood, to meeting Michelle when gas was just 12 cents, to building a business, guiding his children through college and marriage, and watching his grandchildren grow into intelligent, accomplished women.

At the heart of his story were his Armenian heritage, his parents, his children and grandchildren; his friends and family; and, above all, his beloved wife. His final words to Bebe were, “I’ll see you mañana,” and to Bebe’s daughter, Selena, he gently said, “Goodbye,” a departure from his usual “Bye-bye.”

Dodd lived on, worked on, and passed on the family land. Family was everything to him, and his life stands as a testament to a life well lived. He will be dearly missed and forever remembered.

Dodd was preceded in death by his parents, Aram and Roxie; his wife, Michelle; his sister Charlotte Potts; his brothers-in-law, John Jonigian, Don Potts, and Bill (Carolyn), and Richard Findley; and his sister-in-law Jeanne Vanoni. He is survived by his children, Steven (Ann), Janet (Jonathan) Chilingerian, and Marc (Leslie); his grandchildren, Jenna, Jessica, and Jillian Chilingerian; his sisters Theresa Jonigian, Louise, and Sharon; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A visitation will be held at Yost & Webb Funeral Home, 1002 T Street, Fresno, California on Monday, April 20, 2026, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, A graveside service will take place at Visalia Public Cemetery, 1300 W. Goshen Avenue, Visalia, California, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 11:00 am, followed by a noon reception at Crawdaddy’s, 333 E. Main Street, Visalia, California.

In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the Armenian Apostolic Churches of St. Mary (Yettem), St. Paul (Fresno), or St. Gregory (Fowler), or to the donor's favorite charity.