Talat Rafizadeh departed this world on February 16th, 2021 at 2:05 pm MT Time, winging her flight to the celestial realms. Talat, affectionately called Amashje by loved ones, was born on September 6, 1931 in Najafabad, Isfahan, Iran to Mr. Aziz’u’llah and Mrs. Shahbagum Yazdani Erfani. She was the first of four (4) children.
Talat attended an all-girls primary school in Isfahan. After WWII, her family moved to Tehran where she attended Sunday school classes taught by distinguished members of the Baha’i Faith, including Hand of The Cause Mr. Faizi. One day, Mr. Faizi stopped by to visit her family and gifted her a hair pin, a gift and memory she cherished her entire life.
A hallmark characteristic of Talat was her nurturing maternal capacities. She married her husband, Mr. Allahgholi Rafizadeh in 1949 and raised their five (5) children, sons Arsalan (Sima), John, Schumann (Mondona) and Norman and daughter Madlen (Stephen). In addition, Talat was a loving and nurturing presence to her brothers and grandchildren, including her two surviving brothers, Rahmat Erfani and Behzad (Ben) Erfani and ten surviving grandchildren, Alan Rafizadeh, John Rafizadeh, Shireen Connor, Kathy Rafizadeh, Eugene Connor, Cyrus Rafizadeh, Parisa Rafizadeh, Darius Rafizadeh, Camille Connor and Sean Jones.
Talat faced many challenges in her life, overcoming each with strength, dignity and grace. She used her talent as a seamstress to provide everything for her family following her husband’s discriminatory dismissal (religious) from lifelong military service. Valuing education, she tenaciously secured a school uniform contract to provide her children access high-quality private school education. Though her long, beautiful hair brought acclaim, including winning an internationally televised challenge, she remained humble, never boasting of any personal achievements. After encouraging her children to seek higher education abroad (when religious discrimination limited opportunities for Baha’is in Iran), she joined them in 1978, moving with Alahgholi to the United States.
They settled first in Columbus, Ohio and later enjoyed warmer winters in their second home in Houston, Texas. In both cities, Talat took the challenge of assimilating head-on, learning English, obtaining a drivers license, employment, and making countless friends. No matter where she lived, Talat brought her love of cooking, gardening, sewing and people with her. If you visited her, you were sure to be treated to a delicious home-cooked meal and with her phone ringing in the background, a family or friend always calling to chat. Numerous fortunate loved ones also received a hand-crafted gift, from clothing, to knitted baby booties to quilts. Even after her husband’s passing in 2002, she navigated her grief with dignity, staying closely connected to countless family and friends in Ohio and Texas. She loved going to the Houston and Columbus Baha’i Centers, her quilting group in Highlands, social events and family gatherings, always greeting and connecting with others with warmth and kindness.
There is so much more to be shared about Talat and her life. For now, though she leaves behind a tremendous void, we find some comfort in the belief that she is happy to be reunited with her loved ones preceded in death, including her husband Alahgholi, her brother Nasrullah and her two grandchildren Edmund Connor and Seth Jones. She is, and will continue to be, greatly missed by all who knew her.
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