Mumtaz Bashir Sarsam

1932 - 2020

Mumtaz Bashir Sarsam

Mumtaz Bashir Sarsam was born on January 13th, 1932 in Mosul, Iraq, to Dr. Bashir Sarsam and Naima Hafez Sarsam. He passed away the 8th of August, 2020, surrounded by his loving family. He had three older sisters, Renee, Dr. Marguerite. and Violet. He had two younger brothers: twins, Jalal and Jamal. Mumtaz grew up in Northern Iraq in Mosul, Sulaymaniyah, Erbil and Kirkuk. All cities where his father served as a Doctor and Chief Medical Officer under the Ottoman Empire and then the British. At 13 he went to High School at Bermana, Lebanon, spending vacations with relatives in Damascus and summers in Iraq.

Mumtaz attended American University of Beirut for one year, then went to Sao Paolo, Brazil, where he lived with his Mother's Lebanese family. He worked for US Steel in Brazil translating Portuguese and English. Mumtaz had a talent for languages. In 1956 he came to the US and joined his brothers in attending South Dakota State University, Engineering School, in Brookings, SD. Graduating in 1960, he obtained a position at the South Dakota Department of Transportation and worked for the State of South Dakota until 1984 when he began working for the Arizona Department of Transportation. He held several positions there until he retired in 2004. He became a US citizen in November of 1971.

In 1961 Mumtaz married Vivian Miller in the Syrian Orthodox Church in Sioux City, Iowa. The couple had two sons, Mark Christopher and Samir Mumtaz. He is survived by his wife and two sons, Samir's wife, Liz Sarsam, and Mark's children, Claire Ann and Paul William. He is survived by his brother, Jalal, in Calgary, Canada, and his brother, Jamal, in Tempe, AZ. He is also survived by numerous beloved nieces and nephews and other relatives in Arizona, Australia, Canada, Lebanon, and around the world. Mumtaz had a Master's Degree in Civil Engineering from South Dakota State University and was a Registered Professional Engineer. He was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. His specialty was Bridge Inspection and Inventory. He originated this program in South Dakota and headed it in Arizona for a number of years.

Mumtaz enjoyed playing Bridge, Canasta and Backgammon . He was a wonderful tinkerer and would often fix broken electronics for friends and coworkers (always no charge.) He enjoyed company and made excellent Baklava. He loved his family, his co-workers, and life. When there were conflicts in the Middle East, he mourned the sadness and destruction. A Memorial Service will be held when the situation permits. Memorial Donations to Hospice of the Valley and to St. George's Syrian Orthodox Church are appreciated. Mumtaz joined the Neptune Society in 2009, choosing cremation. He is mourned by his family and will be missed by many.