Mehdi Farhangi

Mehdi Farhangi

MILLERTON — The youngest of eight siblings, Mehdi Farhangi was born in a tiny village in the Alborz Mountains of Iran in 1932. He grew up in Biblical conditions: no running water, electricity or roads to his beloved village of Artoon.  He could remember the first time he ever saw a car.  In his telling, he had an idyllic childhood playing under the walnut trees and in the vineyards of Artoon. One of his great joys was visiting Artoon with his grandchildren for his 80th birthday, and showing them the hammam, walnut grove, old stables, vineyards and poplars his father planted 100 years ago.

 Mehdi followed his father, Saadra Farhangi, and several brothers, into medicine, graduating from the Tehran School of Medical Sciences in 1953.  He practiced in Gorgon, Iran, for several years, before immigrating to the United States in 1958.  There, he met his wife Melinda at a hospital party for student nurses. They married in 1960. 

 Mehdi specialized in hematology/oncology, working first at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, then moving in 1975 to the University of Missouri, Columbia, where he was a Professor of Medicine until he retired in 1996.  He made many contributions to research, notably in his specialty, Multiple Myeloma.

 A kind, gentle, and generous man, Mehdi was an inspiration to his extended family. 

Several relatives followed him to the United States and into medicine. In his retirement he split his time between Columbia, Missouri and Millerton, before moving to Millerton full time in 2020.  He enjoyed the Unitarian Church in Columbia, and his dogs, Dandelion and Rafiq, whom he spoiled mercilessly. He enjoyed oil painting, and telling the stories of his childhood with the help of the writing group at the UAA Church.

 Mehdi was predeceased by his parents, Saadra and Madineh Farhangi, and hisbrothers and sisters: Ibrahim, Abolghosem, Batool, Ozra, Javad, Ismail, and Homayoun.  Survivors include Melinda Farhangi, his daughter Leslie Farhangi (John Tuke), grandchildren Caleb Tuke, Zack Tuke, and Asa Tuke, and his son Edward Farhangi and grandchildren Celeste Farhangi and Liam Farhangi.

There are no calling hours. Funeral services will be private. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Scott D. Conklin Funeral Home, 37 Park Avenue, Millerton, NY 12546. 

Donations in memory of Dr. Farhangi to support a cause dear to his heart, civil liberties in Iran, may be made to United For Iran (www.united4iran.org/en/donate.html) To send an online condolence to the family please visit www.conklinfuneralhome.com

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