AN Iranian-born Bournemouth hotelier, who brought warmth and generosity to his successful career running several local hotels, has died surrounded by his loving family.
Mehdi Assad, who was inspired to live in Dorset after passing a popular pub in Poole, owned some of the area’s best known hotels – including Alum Chine’s old Studland Dene and Bournemouth’s old Pavilion Hotel.
Aside from his success in the hospitality industry, he was also a much-loved husband, father, and grandfather.
Mehdi, better known as Baba by his children and grandchildren, was born in Tehran, Iran in 1941 to Mohammed and Badri Assad. He had a close-knit family with two brothers, Mansoor and Farshad, and three sisters: Farshideh, Felor and Farideh.
As a teenager in the mid-1950s, Mehdi made his first trip to the UK when he was sent to Manchester to study civil engineering.
He often fondly remembered his early days in Manchester, first practicing his English when he went to the corner shop. He had asked the shopkeeper for ‘teethpaste’. When the man kindly corrected his English to say it was called ‘toothpaste’ he replied, ‘but I have more than one tooth’.
It was in the north west of England where he met his first wife, Sue, with whom he later returned to Iran and had three daughters: Louise, Jacqui and Lizzie.
In 1976, Mehdi and Sue decided to return to the UK for a new adventure and were looking for the best location to settle their young family. On a recommendation, they found themselves exploring Dorset.
This was two years before the start of the Iranian revolution, which profoundly affected him and his family.
Soon after arriving, the family were travelling down Longfleet Road in Poole when they passed The Shah of Persia pub. It was at this moment the family decided this was the area for them. Medhi would often tell his children that the name of the pub ‘was a sign’, as he linked it to his pride of the Persian culture he was raised in.
Mehdi and Sue would eventually go their separate ways and he met his second wife, Debbie, in 1982. Together they had three children: Natalie, Ellie and his only son Paul. Mehdi and Debbie, who brought up their children around good food, music and laughter, would have celebrated their 40th anniversary later this year.
Along with his prowess as a father, it was in the hospitality industry that Mehdi’s Persian attributes of warmth and generosity really shone through.
His first foray into hotel ownership and management was the Studland Dene Hotel in Alum Chine, which he co-owned with his partner and close friend Dudley Gordon.
The pair owned several restaurants and hotels across the UK. These included The Clockhouse and the Hautboy in Surrey, The Invercarse in Dundee and The Garrison Hotel.
His last hotel was the former Pavilion Hotel in Bath Road, Bournemouth, which Mehdi owned for just shy of 12 years between March 1990 and February 2002.
Guests would return year after year to enjoy evenings in the lounge and bar listening to Mehdi describe the beauty of Persia, share jokes and songs from old movies and perform the occasional magic trick. His family described him as a “natural entertainer” who was loved by his guests and respected by his staff for “never failing to roll up his sleeves” and get stuck in when work needed doing.
Mehdi was also a keen card player, often playing his favourite game kalooki with anyone who didn’t mind being ‘clobbered’ as he would call it. He was a talented musician who played violin, accordion, guitar and piano.
His eventual retirement was described as the “end of an era” for his guests, staff and the Bournemouth business community. However, for his family, there was never a day that he didn’t sing a song or tell a joke much like during his hotel owning days.
Mehdi never tired of living in Bournemouth and especially loved its springtime blossoms and had an affection for rhododendrons found in this area.
While his loss has left an “enormous gap”, his daughter Lizzie said the family will fill that gap with the memories of warmth, humour, poetry, music and stories he shared with them.
Mehdi Assad passed away peacefully on March 28, while surrounded by the family he adored. He was 80 years old.
He is survived by his wife Debbie, his six children and seven grandchildren.
His funeral will be held at The Harbour View Crematorium and Woodland Burial Trust in Lytchett Minster on April 11 at 10.15am.
Floral tributes or a donation to parkinsons.org.uk are welcomed.
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