BIRMINGHAM, MI -- Edgar Hagopian, one of the country's iconic rug retailers and a tireless philanthropist, community activist and leader of the Armenian-American community, died Sunday, March 27, 2011. He was 80 years old and had battled cancer for several years.

 He is survived by Sarah, his wifeof 54 years; sisters Mary and Ilene; brother Steve, children Suzanne, Edmond and Angela, and three grandsons, Alexander, Adam and Nicholas. 

Memorial contributions may be made to the Hagopian Family Foundation, 850 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, MI 48009 or online at www.hagopianfamilyfoundation.org.

Edgar Hagopian was born in Detroit in 1930, where he grew up and began working in his father’s laboratory while a teen.  He attended Cass Tech High School in Detroit, a fact that he was extremely proud of, often commenting on the excellence of the curriculum. After graduating in 1948 he attended The University of Michigan majoring in chemistry until being drafted into the army during the Korean War where he served as a Technical Sergeant.  He was honorably discharged in 1960.

After his military service, Mr. Hagopian returned to Hagopian World of Rugs & Cleaning Services, the family business founded in 1939.

Under his leadership, the company became one of the most respected retailers in the United States, quadrupling  in size. The company currently employs over 150 people.  

His name has long been associated with carpet cleaning and fine Oriental Rugs. The company’s famous purple cleaning trucks can be seen throughout metropolitan Detroit. 

Mr. Hagopian always practiced an “open door” policy with his employees and was affectionately known company-wide as “Mr. H.”

 He was looked upon as a mentor and  father figure to many. His two daughters, son and son-in-law continue to direct the family business. The company operates on Mr. Hagopian's standards and continues to carry on his ideals of community service. 

Mr. Hagopian was involved in numerous charitable organizations. Hagopian companies donate in excess of $70,000 in goods and services to local charities annually.  

Dedicated to community involvement, Mr. Hagopian was a major benefactor to the Detroit Institute of the Arts where he worked with the DIA Founders Society to raise money to support the local arts. He was also a strong supporter of Detroit Public TV.  

In 1988 Hagopian sponsored a major exhibition at the DIA, Woven from the Soul Spun from the Heart featuring textiles and rugs from the Qajar and Safavid Dynasties from which $90,000 was raised. That same year Hagopian donated a computerized loom worth more than $20,000 to the College for Creative Studies. 

For the past 20 seasons, he hosted the Detroit Chamber Winds “Nightnotes” series at Hagopian World of Rugs’ Birmingham Showroom, bringing professional musicians and performers to the city.  

For 22 years, Hagopian has sponsored a design contest in collaboration with Detroit’s College for Creative Studies (CCS) to promote interest in textile design for students. Winners are awarded scholarships and the first place design is produced as a rug and displayed at the Annual Student Exhibition. The tradition will continue in his honor. 

Under Mr. Hagopian's direction, the company also sponsors  an annual statewide university competition for design students in collaboration with The American Society of Interior Design (ASID).  

Mr. Hagopian has been recognized by the Oak Park Business & Education Alliance for his contributions to the educational community, was named an Honorary Director of the Detroit Institute of Arts and has served as a member of the Providence Health Foundation as well as Seeds of Peace, and international organization dedicated to raising a new generation of world citizens that can get along better. 

Mr. Hagopian actively advocated public involvement in the political process from the community to the Federal Government level.  His reputation was such that civic leaders called on him for help In 2002 he spearheaded the passing of the Michigan Public Act 558 recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

In 1995 Hagopian won Franklin Bank’s “Best Family-Owned Business” Award in its category (150+ Employees).  The retail stores also  won the prestigious Retailer of the Year Award at the national Oriental Rug Show in July 1998. Mr. Hagopian was also awarded the 1999-2000 Michigan Retailer of The Year Award.  In 2002 thecompany was honored as “Best Oakland County Employer” by The Oakland County Business Finance Corp.  

Mr. Hagopian was also inducted into the Detroit International Institute Hall of Fame in 2002 honoring his commitment to community and ethnicity.  In 2005 Mr. Hagopian was awarded The Ellis Island Medal of Honor recognizing his dedication to community service and his mission to preserve and celebrate the history, traditions and values of his ancestry group while supporting and defending the values of American life and building bridges between ethnic, racial, and religious groups in the U.S. and abroad. 

In 2006, through the Hagopian Family Foundation Mr. Hagopian initiated the Facing History and Ourselves project promoting awareness of the Armenian Genocide through education.  Educator workshops are held annually to provide a basis for more in-depth study of the Armenian Genocide, offering instructional materials for classroom work, teaching resources and continuing education credits for participants. In 2006, he also began planning “Armenia Fest” an event designed to showcase Armenian culture and heritage.  The event was held in  Birmingham in August 2007 and was attended by more than 2,000 people.  The tradition will continue in 2011 in his memory with the Fourth Annual metro Detroit Armenia Fest.  Proceeds from the Fest are designated for Armenia Fund USA and to date more than $25,000 has been raised to help humanitarian projects in Armenia.