FARZIN SADEGHI

SADEGHI FARZIN SADEGHI ARCHITECT, ARTIST, ENGINEER & ENTREPRENEUR Farzin Sadegi, precious son, beloved husband, adored brother, revered uncle, gracious brother-in-law and son-in-law, respected colleague and generous friend passed away Saturday, October 17, 2015. A gentle, brilliant, compassionate, and generous man of good humor Farzin left a legacy of grace, strength and an abiding belief in the cardinal importance of education for overcoming differences and ignorance. He was in the midst of drawing up plans to start a foundation for providing scholarships for talented, deserving young men and women in Iran in the areas of engineering, in memory of his grandfather. Death interrupted. Persian by birth, Farzin was one of seven siblings. Proud of his rich heritage, he would come to lament the brutal political fanaticism that took hold in 1979. After graduating first in his class in engineering at the University of Tehran, Farzin joined with a number of avant-garde colleagues, who together would design and build the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. The Museum houses one of the most valuable collections of Western modern art outside of Europe and the United States. The 1979 Revolution forced Farzin to seek safety for his family. Only after he got his mother and siblings out and even helped with extended familial members did Farzin escape by car and foot via Pakistan. When he finally made it onto Air France and was offered a glass of wine by the stewardess, Farzin marveled at the complexities and raging crosscurrents of time and space: freedom now above and imprisonment below, the faces of humanity. It would be almost 18 months before he would be able to join his family in America. Everything he had worked for was seized by the new government. Guided by an unusual genius for business Farzin built and operated Potomac Homes in Montgomery County, Maryland, quickly making a comfortable living for himself and his family. He also met the love of his life, his Gigi, whom he would eventually marry and with whom he carried on a 26 year love affair until his passing. Kind and patient with the young he served as an inspiration to model. His precocious niece, Ashby Greer, astonished him by following his career into engineering. His beloved nephew, Arash, sought him out for philosophical discussions with an answer in sight, though there never were any. Farzin in turn was inspired by his blind nephew, Jordan, whom he thought saw and understand more of the world than most with sight. Farzin loved art, especially poetry and the visual arts. He painted for over ten years with a vibrancy and unexpected urgency for meaning where he sensed there was none, providing an outlet to the debilitating depression which plagued him most of his life. For hours Farzin read Persian poetry, especially Hafez, Sa'adi and Rumi. Farzin's own paintings reflected the spirituality he sought from the poets, a love of color and a new realm of consciousness. His paintings were juried and the subject of numerous showings and a VOA broadcast in 2013. Farzin comes from a close-knit, deeply devoted and loving family. He is survived by his precious mother, Zarintaj Alavi, three beloved sisters, Dr. Farideh Sadeghi, Farkhondeh Sadeghi, and Mrs. Firouzeh Wiedemer and steadfast brother, Farid Sadeghi. Many nieces and nephews survive, treasuring their uncle's kindness and goodness. And a wife, Gigi Hafner, who holds in her heart the memories of a life-time of shared love, laughter and sorrows; When time has stolen away our stars And only the night endures, Yet somewhere in the darkness Love, Your Hand will still seek mine. When death has danced its parting dance And tasted its last sweet wine, Yet somewhere in the Silence, Love, My Hand will still find yours. Private services are being held.Private services are being held.