Dr. Jahanshah Lohrasbi

Dr. Jahanshah Lohrasbi, age 72 of Yakima WA, passed the morning of Wednesday April 13, 2022. He died comfortably and peacefully, surrounded by his family.

Jahan is survived by his loving wife Leigh, with whom he shared 40 beautiful years of life. He is also survived by his daughter Eva (Hans) and sons, Safa (Mojdeh), Emery (Colleen), and Zia;  by his father Mohammad Lohrasbi, sisters Molouk, Parvaneh (Firooz), Parvin and brother Abbas (Mahta). Grandchildren: Tiernan and Eleanor Williams, Cecilia Kappus.

He is preceded in death by his mother, Mehrbanoo Lohrasbi.

At 19 years of age Jahan traveled from Iran to the United States in pursuit of higher education. Jahan would later help his entire family escape religious persecution and excel in the United States.

Jahan graduated from Tennessee Tech University with a PhD in Engineering. He was looking for a college teaching job in the Midwest when he met the love of his life Leigh at a Baha’i gathering in Wilmette, Illinois. At the gathering, they found they both had a mutual friend and became inseparable, often driving long hours to spend time together. Leigh and Jahan wed in Louisville, Kentucky the following August at the University of Louisville Ecumenical Center.

Jahan served the Baha’i Faith with his whole heart. While in college, Jahan was an active member in Baha’i clubs and the local Baha’i communities wherever he lived. After college, he continued to serve as the family grew and moved across the United States: from Kentucky to Maryland to Montana to Oregon and finally to Yakima, Washington.

Jahan supported the Yakima Baha’i community on the Local Spiritual Assembly in many positions, particularly enjoying the treasurer role. He loved keeping track of "lighting the candles" on the monthly donation goal chart. Jahan and Leigh regularly opened up their home to Baha’i events, hosting feasts, junior youth groups, Ruhi books and devotionals.

Jahan worked for 27 years at the Hanford Nuclear Site as an Engineer while also teaching organic chemistry and physics night classes as an adjunct professor at Heritage University. One of Jahan's greatest passions was sharing the knowledge he gained over many years, especially with first generation college students.

He enjoyed many, many things. Among those things were spending quality time with family, teaching the Baha'i faith, watching the news, growing grapes, math, chemistry and physics, hiking, kayaking and biking, swimming, soccer, ice skating, ALL fruit, taste testing Persian rice and playing with his grandchildren.  

Tremendous and heartfelt thanks go to the truly exceptional nurses and doctors at Emory University Hospital who provided a peaceful and compassionate environment during his transition from this life to the next.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, we encourage friends of Jahan to make donations to their favorite charity or do acts of service in his name.