by Sanaz Majd
It is with great sadness that we share news of the passing of our sweet, beautiful friend, Homa Mehrikalantari.
Homa was a key member of our ISSD Mommy Squad, which has infamously gathered for years on our now worn, irreversibly stained picnic blankets that the parents have faithfully hauled in each week. We awaken at the crack of dawn each Sunday and lug our whining kids in tow, all in anticipation of gathering with other like-minded, culturally-thirsty mothers desperate for connections to our own people. Truth be told, we make the Sunday struggle not only for our next generations, but for ourselves, as well. And Homa was one of these essential reasons we eagerly looked forward to Sundays.
Having met Homa, I instantly connected with her—she was genuine, charismatic, witty, spunky, brutally honest, not to mention hilariously funny. No matter what kind of day you were having, she always made you smile. She was one of those special, rare finds, bearing a certain twinkle in her eye. I recognize a gem when I see one and I would beg her to come to sit with us week after week. She reluctantly dodged me for months but eventually caved, as I was relentless. And I’m so glad, as our squad had never laughed so much, discussing topics ranging from the latest weight loss fads to our parenting blunders, thanks to Homa’s humor and flair.
I especially recall her obsession with TikTok. She would rave about the miraculous makeup and hair tips she was learning from this new platform at the time, encouraging me to engage since she knew I was active on social media. After much persuasion and despite my great hesitance, I gave it a whirl with the promise that we’d create a video together one day. But after lip-syncing about health topics in two goofy posts, we laughed so hard (and I closed the account, needless to say).
Now every time someone mentions TikTok, I giggle to myself and think of beautiful Homa. And wonder with great perplexity how she actually persuaded me to do something completely out of my comfort zone and was even brave enough to laugh about it with me afterward. But she had that way about her—so full of life and fun. How I wish we could now create that TikTok video together.
Here are some more personal stories written by her ISSD friends:
Homa was so playful and adventurous. A group of us convinced her to play pickleball for the first time. She made the effort to drive all the way from Rancho Penasquitos to Carlsbad one weekday, played for only one hour, and drove back so that she could report to work by 11 a.m. The game was compounded with laughter when Homa fell down while trying to hit the ball under her nose with her paddle. She joked the entire time during the game and made the rest of us laugh our hearts out.
— Shahrnaz Motakef
One day at Farsi school, I was distracted while talking to friends when the break time whistle was blown. I was unaware that my youngest daughter had apparently left her classroom and was searching for me. Homa discovered her and brought her to me, saying: “yek vaght kam nayari az harf zadan!” It’s a funny khatereh and perfectly reflects her sense of humor.
Another time, I had to leave the country on an emergency and was concerned to leave my very young kids with my spouse who has a demanding job. Knowing I have no immediate relatives in town, Homa was one of the few friends who offered to help. When I thanked her and told her that I do have a couple of other close friends that have offered to help, too, she said, “Nemibakhshamet agar tarof koni.” She was thoughtful, caring, lovely, and genuine. A gem of a friend I knew I could always count on. I truly miss her and will never forget her laughter and sunny disposition.
— Orkideh Pajouhandeh
Now, after a two-year hiatus, no thanks to COVID-19, we have returned to our Sunday ISSD gatherings. But Homa’s absence is heartbreakingly felt. To say it is not the same without her is an understatement. But we will never forget her laughter and look back on our fun times with great fondness and love.
Our hearts and deepest condolences go out to her beautiful mother, sweet daughter Shania, and devoted husband Hooman.
We close with a poem written by fellow Mommy Squad member, Shahrnaz Motakef:
To your light that will always stay on in our hearts,
To your beautiful smile that will never be forgotten,
To happy stories that only you could recite,
To our beautiful Homa.
You are so missed. May you rest in peace, beautiful.
With Love Forever and Beyond,
Your ISSD Mommy Squad Family
Farhad Farsoudi, 1952-2022
Farhad was born on August 12, 1952, in Tehran. As the oldest child, he had a simple and happy upbringing. He was always known among his family and friends to be one who was quiet, kind, considerate, and a very loveable kid. He graduated from high school and went on to study accounting at a well-known college that specialized in finance and accounting.
Soon after college, he was drafted and served in the Navy as a naval officer. He then went on to become a very successful accountant, working for various companies before he immigrated to the United States in the early 1980s when he was around 30 years old.
Farhad was a kind, genuine, helpful, loving, unpretentious, caring, and considerate human being with a gentle soul. He was very humble, recognizing that we aren’t on this earth to see how important, rich, and famous we can become, but to see how much difference we can make in the lives of others. With all the great qualities and wonderful traits that he held, one was very evident when you got to know him—his generosity. Those who knew him soon realized that he was not motivated by money and material stuff in life, while at the same time being very generous and giving.
He never judged people; instead, he radiated and gave love. He always had an attitude of gratitude and used every fiber of his body to help others. He was always calm and collected and not much of a talker, but he was a great listener. He was always helpful and willing, he never said no to anyone, and he was willing to offer a helping hand to everyone. He was a wonderful friend, always there for you, willing and genuinely wanting to take care of people around him.
Farhad started “Pine Accounting & Management Services,” which helped small businesses with their accounting and bookkeeping needs and also assisted hundreds of clients with preparing their year-end tax returns.
He started his family in the mid-1990s and is survived by his wife, Azam, and his two wonderful children, Cyrus and Saman. Cyrus graduated from UC Santa Cruz and is an accomplished software engineer and Saman is a Junior at UC San Diego.
Farhad’s sudden diagnosis of pancreas cancer allowed him to live for only two more weeks until he passed away on October 25, 2022.
Farshid Farsoudi
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In Loving Memory of Ali Alipour, 5/11/1999 – 12/18/2022
Our community has lost a great and promising young man. I first met him when he was only 10 years old. His aunt called me to register him in my daf workshop. She said he was still in Iran but wanted to make sure there would not be a gap in his training. After a few weeks, he and his lovely parents arrived in San Diego and he joined the workshop. He was very talented and everyone at the workshop loved him. Since there were several Alis there, everyone knew him as “Ali koochikeh.” He then joined the Iranian School, performing in many of our concerts and school celebrations. I am sure all our teachers and many of our students at the time remember him as a super nice, kind, caring, and polite young man with a contagious smile. It is still hard to believe he is gone. I miss him so much. My deepest condolences to Nader and Mary, his lovely parents. The following text is extracted from the obituary by Ali’s cousin.
-Ali Sadr
With a heavy heart, I must announce to friends and family that my dear cousin Ali passed away this morning after a 4 year battle with Ewing Sarcoma. Ali was a warrior to the end. The amount of love and courage he showed during these times was an example to live by. In the past 4 years while fighting for his life he did everything to try and shield his parents from the reality that they will be losing their only son. For them, he stayed hopeful and positive and fought as hard as a warrior can.
Since I could remember Ali was always the perfect child. Never in my life have I heard this kid say bad things about somebody or do anything to harm or hurt somebody. He made friends with everybody and there was not one thing you would not like about this kid when you met him. He was so motivated and driven for life, he was on his way to becoming one of the best doctors we would have ever had. Even through this fight, he kept going to school at UCSD and working towards his goals. The world really lost an angel and I can only hope he is finally at peace and able to be hugging our grandparents up there.
Monique, you are a godsend. Thank you, Mo, for loving Ali and being there for him. He was lucky to have you and you were lucky to have been loved by him. Thank you for taking care of him, for loving him, for being there for him when you knew his ability to be there for you would soon expire. Our family loves and cherishes you, not just because of what you meant to Ali, but because you are a kind soul and love is all you know how to give.
To my aunt and uncle, I love you. I am sorry, sorry you lost your only son, and sorry about the last 4 years of pain and anguish. No parent should have to feel the pain you are feeling. But if there’s one thing I know about Ali, he was beyond grateful to have you as his parents. I know as much as Ali loved life, his biggest heartache was seeing what this was doing to you. I know all he wants is for you both to find a way to keep going for him because he will always be with you in spirit.
Ay Toussi
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Iranians in San Diego Become the Voice of the Voiceless
Since the tragic death of Mahsa Amini last September, mass protests have never stopped in Tehran and other cities around the country. According to human rights organizations and observers, by mid-December, over 450 people have been killed, including women and children. Over 16,000 have been detained. Summary trials are taking place behind closed doors and dozens of people have been sentenced to death, with executions already starting. People in Iran are outraged and continue peacefully protesting and facing brutal confrontations by armed government forces.
Demonstrations in support of the freedom movement in Iran have also continued outside of Iran. Iranians across the world have been very effective in exposing the Iranian regime’s atrocities to the people and authorities in the countries where they reside. They have become the voice for the voiceless. Mahsa Amini has become a household name. Many organizations and politicians have condemned these atrocities and taken action against the government of Iran.
In San Diego, there has been at least one rally each week in different parts of town with hundreds attending. Local news organizations have been covering the demonstrations and conducting interviews regarding the events in Iran. The County of San Diego issued a proclamation in support of the people of Iran in their struggle for freedom and justice. The proclamation was presented to the representatives of PCC, AIAP, the House Of Iran, and The County of San Diego Middle Eastern Employee Resource Group.
