Irandokht "Irene" Sasani

Irandokht Irene “Iranjoon” Sasani, a progressive woman, who personified independence and free thinking, passed away on Saturday night, August 1st in Columbia, Maryland. Irandokht, one of Iran’s first female Fulbright Scholars, was a trailblazer and will never be forgotten. She was 89 years old.

Irandokht was born on January 15th, 1931 in Tehran, Iran to a wealthy family that motivated her to pursue social justice. She graduated from Tehran Universitiy’s School of Science and Education with two Bachelor’s degrees in Physics and Education. She grew up as an intellectual and educator during a historic period in Iran’s history. Her career started as a young teacher and she worked to become a high school principal and eventually worked in the Inspector General’s Office for Educational Affairs. As a recipient of a Fulbright award she attended Ohio University's education program in 1963 and had a chance to travel throughout the United States. She was the first female graduate from Padafand Meli’s Executive MBA program, modeled after Harvard University, and finished at the top of her class. As an eyewitness to every key moment in Iran’s modern history she was always ready to tell you a story about that period in time. She retired at age fifty.

She was married for over 50 years to the love of her life, Houshang Negahban, who passed away in 2005.

In 2007, following her husband Houshang’s passing, she moved to the United States and resided in Columbia, Maryland. Fiercely independent, she remained active and up to date on the world’s current events deep into her 80’s. She remained active with her friends as well as the senior community center where she often volunteered to help with a variety of issues such as interpreting and other social activities. She was a skilled knitter and her friends and family cherish and have samples of her work.

She is survived by her two sons, Siamak and Shahab, her two daughter-in-laws, Fariba and Golnar, her three grandchildren, Nima, Sina, and Mina, and her great-grandson, Hugo, and her two siblings Zari and Parviz Sasani.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that you make a donation in her name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Due to COVID-19 all services will be private at this time.

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