Anthony Antranig Alexanian, 91, of Greenville, passed away on Wednesday November 3rd in the Fatima Hospital, North Providence. He was the beloved husband of Marie A. (Medeiros) Alexanian. They had been married for 66 years.
Born in Cuba, a son of the late Kirkor and Noyemzar (Avadesian) Alexanian. He had lived in Havanah, Cuba before coming to the US of America. He lived in Lowell, Ma before moving to Providence and then Smithfield. He was an US Army veteran of the Korean War.
In 1967, he opened Alexander’s Coiffures in Providence and for 44 years, that salon was a central part of his life. His customers knew him as Alex, and he took great pride in the business he had built through his own hard work. On March 27, 2011, he had worked his final day and closed the doors of Alexander’s Coiffures.
Anthony loved gardening, especially growing roses, and a variety of other plants. He enjoyed working outdoors, tending to his garden, and taking care of his yard. He had a dry, sarcastic sense of humor and enjoyed a good practical joke. He could deliver a remark with a completely straight face, leaving you wondering whether he was serious or just pulling your leg.
Besides his wife, he leaves his children, Gary P. Alexanian and his companion Lori of Greenville, and Laura A. Wilber and her husband Ralph, of Foster. He was the grandfather of Christina Poulsen, Tyler Alexanian, Ryan Alexanian, Kelsey Mignano, Melanie Wilber, Travis Wilber, and Lydia Wilber. He was the great-grandfather of Cora Poulsen, Noah Poulsen, Evan Poulsen, and Leah Poulsen. He was the brother of Nevart “Rose” Mahdesian of Providence, Moorad Alexanian of Wilmington, NC, and Astrid Mentation of Greenville. He was the father of the late Kara A. Mignano.
His funeral will be private. Burial with Military Honors will be held in the RI Veterans Cemetery, Exeter. Visitation to which relatives and friends are invited will be held on Friday November 6th from 4pm to 7pm in the Anderson-Winfield Funeral Home, Route 44 at Greenville Common, Greenville.
The following are words of reflection by Gary.
In Loving Memory of Anthony (Antranig) Alexanian
1935 – November 3, 2026
My father, Antranig Alexanian, lived a remarkable life. It began in Havana, Cuba, in 1935, and was shaped by determination, hard work, family, and an independent spirit that stayed with him until the very end.
Dad was born to Armenian parents who had been forced to leave their homeland and eventually settled in Cuba. He grew up speaking Armenian and Spanish, carrying both his family’s heritage and the culture of his birthplace.
In 1952, at just 17 years old, he came to the United States without knowing a word of English.
He settled in Haverhill, Massachusetts, with his older sister, Nevart, who had arrived a year earlier. They lived in an unheated attic. Dad found work with an Armenian dry cleaner while learning English and building a new life.
In 1954, his parents, Kirkor and Noyemzar with his other two siblings, Morad & Astrid joined him in America.
From 1958 to 1960, Dad served in the United States Army and was stationed in South Korea after the Korean War. He continued serving in the Army Reserve from 1961 to 1964.
On July 3, 1960, he married my mother, Maria Alexanian. Their marriage lasted more than 66 years, a lifetime of shared experiences, commitment, and family.
Dad eventually moved to Providence, Rhode Island, where he learned the hairdressing profession.
In 1967, he opened Alexander’s Coiffures at 5 Lincoln Avenue in Providence.
He ran that salon for 44 years, working until March 27, 2011, when he closed its doors for the last time.
Think about that. A 17-year-old immigrant who arrived in America speaking no English went on to serve his adopted country, raise a family, and build a successful business that lasted more than four decades.
In 1970, Dad moved to Greenville, Rhode Island, where he would live for the rest of his life.
Over the years, he was known by several names.
To his brother and sisters, he was Anto.
To my mother, he was Tony.
To his customers, he was Alex.
But to me, he was simply Dad.
And Dad was quite a character.
He had a dry, sarcastic sense of humor and loved a good practical joke. He could say something with a perfectly straight face, leaving you wondering whether he was serious or just pulling your leg.
He was also a staunch conservative who loved debating politics with family and friends. He had strong opinions, and changing his mind was no easy task.
He could be stubborn, sarcastic, and sometimes difficult to argue with. But that was part of what made him Dad.
And then there were my little dogs.
Dad found just about every animal annoying. Yet he couldn’t resist teasing my dogs whenever he had the chance. For someone who claimed animals bothered him, he certainly enjoyed getting a reaction out of them.
He also loved gardening, especially his roses and the many other plants he grew. He took great pride in his yard and enjoyed working outdoors.
Dad was a man who liked doing things himself. He valued his independence, and he held on to it as long as he possibly could.
Even into his 90s, as his health began to decline, he insisted on cutting my lawn.
He had his orange Husqvarna riding mower, and as far as he was concerned, that grass was his responsibility.
If I cut it before he got there, he’d get a little irritated with me.
At the time, it seemed like just another example of Dad being stubborn.
But looking back, I understand it differently.
My father wasn’t someone who expressed his feelings with a lot of words.
He showed his love through his actions and his generosity.
He showed it through his devotion to my mother, through his hard work, and through the countless things he did for his family.
And every time he climbed onto that mower, he was doing more than cutting grass.
He was taking care of me.
That was Dad’s way of saying he loved me.
As he grew older, his health declined, and the sarcastic remarks and practical jokes became less frequent. But the qualities that defined him remained.
His determination.
His independence.
His generosity.
And his devotion to his family.
When I think about my father, I think about that 17-year-old boy who crossed an ocean to start a new life.
I think about the young man who served in the Army in Korea.
I think about the husband who shared more than 66 years with my mother.
I think about the businessman who spent 44 years behind the doors of Alexander’s Coiffures.
But most of all, I think about Dad.
The man who loved his roses, enjoyed a good political argument, teased my little dogs, and insisted that nobody else was going to cut my lawn.
On November 3, 2026, we said goodbye to him.
I’ll miss his sarcasm, his stubbornness, and his practical jokes.
I’ll miss seeing him working in his garden.
And I’ll even miss those little disagreements about who was going to cut the grass.
Because what once seemed so ordinary has become one of my most treasured memories.
Dad gave us a lifetime of hard work, determination, generosity, and love.
He may not always have said what he felt, but his actions spoke for him.
And I’ll carry those memories with me for the rest of my life.
Rest peacefully, Dad.
You’ve worked hard enough.
You’ve earned your rest.
And don’t worry about the lawn.
I’ll take care of it from here.