Esfandyar Goshtasbe

Honoring the Life of Esfandyar Goshtasbe: Esfandyar Goshtasbe, affectionately known as Essi, a faithful servant of Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha, ascended to the next realm and the Abha Kingdom on Fidal 15 Nur 181 B.E. | June 18, 2024. Essi was born on Jalal, 7 Qudrat 102 B.E. | November 10, 1945 in the city of Yazd, Iran. He lived a life filled with immense generosity, love, laughter, and light-heartedness. As a young child, he cherished playing soccer in the fields of Yazd, assisting his mother with bread-making, and as the eldest child and older brother had great joy watching his three younger sisters grow up. After high school, Essi completed 2 years of mandatory military duty, then moved to Tehran to work for the city of Tehran while finishing his university studies. Essi worked as the Supervisor of Building Affairs in the Municipality of Tehran and was later promoted to the Director of District 5 of the city of Tehran. Worldly accomplishments and titles aside, Essi's true devotion was to the Baha'i Faith and Baha'u'llah. When his family faced religious persecution in Iran for their Baha'i beliefs, Essi chose to uphold his Faith rather than recant and keep his achievements in his country of birth. He renounced all he had attained in Iran, faithful to Baha'u'llah's Cause (the Oneness of Humankind) and his family and Faith. The Islamic Revolution in 1979 was the cause of religious persecution for Essi and his family. Essi's mother and grandmother were imprisoned for six months in Yazd due to their Baha'i beliefs. While working in Tehran, Essi would travel to Yazd every Friday, taking a bus to visit them in prison, and returning to Tehran to work on Saturday. After their release, Essi married his wife, Homa, and they soon had their first child, Arman. The continued religious persecution eventually led to Essi making a decision to help his family flee their beloved homeland of Iran, escaping to Pakistan until granted asylum to the United States. After being granted refugee status by the United Nations, Essi and his wife, young son, and parents relocated to the United States of America where he started all over again to build life anew. Essi's charm was his light-heartedness and his genuine selfless heart which gave him a remarkable ability to connect with people; when friends or family expressed problems that grieved them, Essi often made their problems his own, spending his mental energy and time trying to find solutions for other people and lend a helping hand. While learning a new language, Essi's heartfelt sincerity and selflessness overcame its limitations, enabling heartfelt conversations with his new American friends. In America, he loved nature, flowers, and especially gardening and growing fruit trees, always with the intention of sharing his harvest with others. He loved spending time at the Visalia Farmers Market, sharing his finds with friends and family, attending Baha'i activities, chanting prayers, singing his favorite songs, and visiting neighbors and friends. Essi's legacy is one of love, generosity, thoughtfulness, radiance, a light-hearted sense of humor, and unbelievable strength and resilience. Most importantly, it is a legacy of devotion to his parents, God, Baha'u'llah, and the Divine Teachings of the Baha'i Faith. He is survived by his gracious and loving wife, Homa; his beloved daughter, Mona, his son Arman (and his wife Emily and daughter Zoe), and his sisters Parvin, Ruhi, Ferry. Essi cherished his parents, his community of friends and neighbors, demonstrating his love for them all with an ocean of unwavering selflessness and thoughtful deeds. His wife, daughter, and son find great comfort and assurance in Essi's life long commitment in deeds to the words of Baha'u'llah: "O SON OF SPIRIT! My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting." You will be missed deeply but we are comforted that you get to rejoice in imperishable and everlasting glory, our dearest Essi. You are forever in our hearts and are our husband, our father, grandpa, brother, uncle, and dearest friend for eternity. Funeral services will be held 8:00 AM Saturday, June 29th, 2024 at Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapel, 127 E. Caldwell Ave., Visalia. Graveside services will be held 9:30 AM Saturday, June 29th, 2024 at Visalia District Cemetery, 1300 W Goshen Ave, Visalia. Services have been entrusted to Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapel. Memorial Tributes and condolences may be offered by logging onto www.salseranddillard.com.

Esfandyar Goshtasbe

November 10, 1945 - June 18, 2024