H. Mirza Amirkhan, Jr., passed away surrounded by his family on December 24, 2012. Mirza was born January 19, 1927 in Dallas, Texas, the son of H. Mirza Amirkhan, Sr. and Norma Snow Amirkhan. Of Armenian descent, H.M. Sr. escaped Turkey and arrived in the United States in 1909 and in 1911 founded The Oriental Rug Cleaning Co. on Ross Avenue in Dallas. He married Norma Snow of Bangs, Texas in 1923 and operated the business until his death in 1955. H. Mirza, Jr. attended Miss Taylor’s, graduated valedictorian from Terrill Preparatory School for Boys in 1943 and attended Georgia Tech before entering the service in 1945. A member of “The Greatest Generation”, he served in the 5th Army Air Force, 13th Air Service Group in the Army of Occupation in Japan. Mirza met Inez Hunter on a blind date at SMU and they married in 1950. He graduated with a B.A. from SMU in 1951 and was admitted into the State Bar of Texas in 1954. He operated the family business from 1954 until his retirement in 2010. He served on the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Rug Cleaning and was a widely acknowledged expert on oriental rugs. His daughter, Ellen, entered the business in 1980 and serves as its president. Mirza enjoyed travel, dining out, photography and sports. Most of all, he took care of his family and was a friend to many. He will be fondly remembered for his quick wit, generosity, gentle spirit, a kiss on the ladies’ hands and a big “Hi, Ho!” Mirza is survived by his wife of 62 years, Inez Hunter Amirkhan; his son Dr. Nelson Amirkhan and his wife Dr. Robin Amirkhan; daughter Ellen Amirkhan; sister Dr. Mary Outlaw; brother-in-law Philip Hunter and his wife Maxine; several nieces and nephews and many friends. The Amirkhan family would like to thank the staff of The Legacy at Preston Hollow for their special care in Mirza’s final months. Visitation will be held 6:00- 8:00 p.m. Friday, December 28, 2012 at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home. A Memorial Celebration will be held Saturday, January 5, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. at Sparkman/Hillcrest Northwest Hwy. Chapel. Memorials may be made to Northaven United Methodist Church, 11211 Preston Rd., Dallas, Texas 75230 or The Legacy at Preston Hollow, 11409 N. Central Expressway, Dallas, Texas 75243. A reception in honor of Mirza will follow at the Sparkman/Hillcrest Family Lounge following the Memorial Service.
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