Ali Rahnamoon's open and welcoming heart has stopped, and with his passing a cornerstone of Charleston's hospitality industry is gone.

Born to educators Zahra Daneshvar Tehrani and Mohamad Reza Rahnamoon in Tehran, Iran, Ali traveled the world while working for Iran Air, opening his eyes and arms to people of every stripe. Once that country's revolution began, Ali and his best friend Shahram Aghapour immigrated to chilly Boston, where they worked together in a pizza parlor.

Thanks to a business loan from Ali's uncle, the conjoined friends were able to further immigrate, this time to the sunny city of Charleston, South Carolina. Here, they opened Papillon, and converted the former sailors' church on The Market to Ferrantes Restaurant. Saffron Restaurant and Bakery opened in what had been Jacob's Hosiery in 1986.

It was at these restaurants that Charlestonians would see two grown men bicker and laugh with each other like an old married couple.

Ali would make a fuss over whoever came through that door, from those down on their luck to the highest reaches of society, they were all treated like kings and queens whether they were one of Ali's and Saffron's most endearing supporters - as were the parishioners from Mother Emanuel AME Church around the corner. In a town that had experienced racial strife, both the church's members and Ali saw only one thing in each other: kinship!

Locals weren't the only ones to know Ali's embrace, as he opened his doors to luminaries like Elizabeth Taylor, Hillary Clinton, Bill Murray, now a local just like Joe Riley and Philip Simmons. The cast of Army Wives also frequented Saffron's.

Ali's heart and countenance was such that an immigrant from Persia fleeing a revolution, would fit together like a missing piece of a puzzle with members of Mother Emanuel AME Church. He would even attend services there and open his doors to its flock in the wake of an unforgettable shooting.

It is no coincidence, then, that Ali's family name, Rahnamoon, is Farsi for "The Guide."

His legacy has left a significant impact. Many have claimed to be the originator of the Holy City's restaurant scene. But the other restaurateurs, like the recently departed Mark Cummings, would point at Ali as being one of the founding fathers. He was famous for his pineapple pizza. Ironically, the pineapple is the city's symbol of hospitality.

Ali leaves behind much. Two former wives, Lenora Owens of Mount Pleasant, and Pamela Scott Strich of West Ashley. He and Pamela had one son together, JJ Rahnamoon, but true to form he loved the two boys now men that she brought to the marriage, Max and Todd Strich.

JJ married Stefany, whom Ali dubbed the "Queen of Saffron's," and together they had his grandson, Ollie Rahnamoon, whose name when spoken quickly sounds just like his Grandfather's.

Ali's sister, Zohreh followed him eventually to the New World, living now in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she is comforted by her Husband, Ahmad and daughters, Marjan and Mojgan.

If Ali were here today, he would tell everyone his family extended into Shahram Aghapour's house, with his wife Diane and their children, Gracie and Andrew.

And if Ali were here today, again, he would make each and every one of us in this room feel like family, like we were important, like we belonged.

Today, we come not to honor a king, but to praise God for his big heart and his legacy. And to carry on welcoming others into our homes and hearts like he did in Charleston for so very long.

A drop-in and commemoration of Ali's life are pending. Please check back for further details.