Dr. Abbas Bashir-Elahi, 92, of McLean, Virginia, passed away on December 2, 2023.

Dr. Bashir-Elahi was born in Tehran, Iran to Azizollah and Aghdas Bashir-Elahi on September 15, 1931. He grew up in Tehran and graduated from Firooz Bahram High School, and subsequently from Tehran University's School of Medicine in 1956.

He emigrated to the United States later that year to complete his advanced medical training. He completed an internal medicine internship at Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1957, a residency in internal medicine in 1959 at the St. Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, and a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Louisville, Kentucky in 1962. He worked for two years as an attending physician at Louisville University hospital.

Dr. Bashir-Elahi married Irma Hoffman on December 30, 1961, in Cahokia, Illinois. They lived in Louisville until they moved to Falls Church, Virginia in 1964, where he worked as a gastroenterologist in private practice for more than 40 years before retiring. He received recognition from the city of Falls Church for his decades of service to scores of underprivileged patients and those in need. In the late 1980's he earned a master's degree in public health as a means to provide pro bono medical services in various countries around the world. He was also involved with charities and civic organizations such as Health for Humanity and Toastmasters International.

Above all, he lived for his Baha'i Faith, which he shared with anyone, anytime, anywhere, and any place. As a youth in Iran, he was an inspiration to his Baha'i peers through his teaching activities. For more than 50 years, he and his wife, Irma Bashir-Elahi, opened their home in Northern Virginia to strangers, neighbors, and friends, alike, from all backgrounds, for a weekly fireside chat about the Baha'i Faith, one of the longest such gatherings in the U.S. Baha'i community. He served his Faith with distinction in many capacities through his waning years.

He was a loving grandfather, who adored and cherished each of his eight grandchildren. His laugh was infectious and his love for people of every race, religion, and ethnicity was evident through his warm hospitality and genuine desire to learn more about their lives over a hot meal.

Dr. Bashir-Elahi was preceded in death by his parents, Azizollah and Aghdas Bashir-Elahi, and his brother, Mansour Bashir-Elahi.

He is survived by Irma Bashir-Elahi, and their three children, Sherry Bashir-Elahi Tavangar, and her husband Bozorgmehr Tavangar, Roshan Bashir-Elahi, and his wife Jessica Roman, Dwight Bashir-Elahi, and his wife Shirin Afiatpour Bashir; his three siblings, Eshragh Farhat-Sabet, Laghaieh Khalili, and Nasir Bashirelahi; and his eight grandchildren, Husayn Tavangar, Varqa Tavangar, Amelia Cortés-Tavangar, Sofie Bashir-Elahi, Gabriela Bashir-Elahi, Maxwell Bashir-Elahi, Alexander Bashir-Elahi, and Benjamin Bashir-Elahi.

A funeral service for Dr. Bashir-Elahi will be held Wednesday, December 6, 2023, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at National Funeral Home, 7482 Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA 22042. A graveside service will occur Wednesday, December 6, 2023, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM at National Memorial Park, 7482 Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA 22042. A reception will occur Wednesday, December 6, 2023, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, 7482 Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA 22042.

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Death reported in The American Baha'i - Mar Apr 2024