Dariush Arasteh

Dariush Arasteh Aug. 26, 1960 - Feb. 3, 2012 Dariush Arasteh died peacefully at home with his family on Friday, February 3, 2012, after living with cancer for close to a decade. Arasteh, 51, was born in Ann Arbor Michigan to psychologist and author A. Reza Arasteh PhD., who integrated western and eastern philosophy, and psychologist Josephine Durkatz Arasteh, PhD., who worked at the National Institute of Health on child development. Dariush grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. At the age of 9, he lived with his family in his father's native Iran for a year. He attended Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Princeton University in 1980, and a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Dariush married Nancy Hendrickson in 1991. His son Jasper was born in 1995. A devoted father, Dariush was fully engaged in all aspects of his son's school life, sports activities, building projects, and much more. Dariush loved the outdoors, particularly California's north coast, redwoods, and bobcats. He was a natural athlete who enjoyed playing tennis, ping pong, and ultimate Frisbee, bicycling in the East Bay hills, walking the neighborhood, rowing on the Bay, and hitting home runs for his softball team. Dariush was well known for his quick wit, sparkling eyes, big heart, and generous nurturing actions. He had a unique capability to see both the big picture and the details, to understand all sides of a question, to be a gracious teacher yet always a student, to think creatively while respecting tradition, to speak the languages of both science and poetry, and to generate enthusiasm in others on even the most scholarly topic. A scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for 30 years, Dariush is known around the world for his research in energy-efficient windows. He was central to the development of the window energy performance rating system used today in the U.S. and authored more than 100 academic papers in the field of energy-efficient buildings in addition to co-authoring two books. The windows research led to other innovations such as the development, patenting, and licensing of gas-filled panel insulation that is used in insulating windows and shipping containers. In his work life, Dariush is remembered especially for his mentorship of young scientists and his ability to bridge pure scientific research with practical industry application. He had a unique ability to collaborate with other researchers and industry professionals to bring theoretical concepts and emerging technologies to market to support the goal of reducing energy consumption in buildings. Diagnosed in 2002 with neuroendocrine cancer, Dariush turned his scientific curiosity and tireless search for answers toward seeking treatments for this uncommon disease. His courage and determination enabled him to live close to 10 years with the disease and to fully enjoy his son's childhood and adolescence. A host of medical professionals and holistic professionals supported his care, including his oncology team at University of California, San Francisco. Dariush leaves his wife Nancy Hendrickson and son Jasper Arasteh, his sister Roya Arasteh as well as his extended family in the United States including his uncle and aunt Dr. Ahmad and Mrs. Mahin Arasteh, and his cousins Nahid, Mashid, and Megan Arasteh all of Safety Harbor Florida, cousin Bibi Arasteh and her husband Osama Othman of McLean, Virginia; as well as a worldwide network of friends and colleagues. For information about the memorial service or memorial gifts, email remember.dariush@gmail.com.