About Andrew

Andrew (Abdollah, Abby) Manoochehri

Andrew passed away in the early morning of November 21, 2023. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Cecelia (Cece) Manoochehri, and his two sons Michael Andrew Manoochehri and Benjamin Andrew Manoochehri; three sisters and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, and one sister.

Andrew was born Abdollah Manoochehri in Iran. He spent his childhood in Tehran. He came to the United States to study in 1960, by way of Germany. He came to the United States on a ship, which he worked on for part of his passage cost. He had many experiences to share regarding his trip from Iran to his final destination Pasadena, California.

He started his educational journey at an English language school in Hollywood, CA and then completed high school at Hollywood High School.

Andrew’s higher education started at the Pasadena Playhouse College of Theater Arts in Pasadena, California. The Playhouse has a long list of famous actors and directors who attended the college or were part of the many productions that continue today. He studied and participated in several productions while at the Playhouse. He decided he needed a broader educational experience and enrolled at Pasadena City College, majoring in Art. After attending for a year or so he dropped out due to financial difficulties and worked at various part-time jobs.

After meeting and marrying his wife in September 1966, he and his wife went to college together at Pasadena College, graduating in January 1970, From then on Andrew completed a BFA at California State University, Long Beach, California in 1973, a MFA in Advertising and Graphic Design at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York in 1975. As a graduate student at Syracuse, he taught Design courses. Education was always important in his life and he was a great motivator for his wife to complete her degrees, as well as, supporting his sons with their educational degrees.

Andrew gained United States Citizenship in June 1970, in Los Angeles, CA. When he gained citizenship he officially changed his name to Andrew Manoochehri from Abdollah. He was known mostly by his nickname Abby before 1970, and most of his long-time friends always used that name. Gaining citizenship was a big event for him and he was always proud of that moment.

Andrew worked with his mentor John David Wilson, a well-known animator, at Fine Arts Productions in Hollywood, CA, for several years while attending college. He also worked for two large retail stores, the May Company and Broadway Department stores, as a Display Designer when stores actually had big window displays that were changed for sales and different seasons. After finishing his education he worked at Hanna-Barbera Studios in Hollywood where he worked on the cartoons such as “Scooby Doo” and several other cartoons. He taught for several years at Art Center College of Design, in Pasadena, CA and worked on several projects for Northrop Corporation. He was self-employed for many years as a Graphic Arts Designer.

His family and friends greatly miss him.