Reza Oraiee Abbasian

Early in the afternoon of 14 April 2025, Reza Oraiee Abbasian (b. 3 October 1953) passed away at Christopher House Hospice in Austin. Reza had been there for three days after some days of hospice care at home. Diagnosed with incurable stage 4 cancer in late November 2024, he had been bedridden since late January. Reza’s wife Maggie and his sisters Pari, Sorayya, and Fahimeh were with Reza every day of hospice care. Reza was alert and stoic throughout his illness until the morning of the 14th, when he didn’t open his eyes.

Born and raised in Mashhad, the youngest of nine children of Mohammad Oraee Abbasian and Hajiyeh Nofayli, Reza was predeceased by his parents and his older brothers Abbas and Javad. Reza is survived by his wife Maggie Keeshen and his sisters Paridokht Mokarram of Houston, Sorayya Hillmann of Austin, Mahin Keough of Long Beach (CA), and Fahimeh Djafarian of Frankfurt (Ger).

Reza is survived also by these nieces and nephews: Alis Myers (Florida), Alireza Mokarram (Houston), Elaheh Seyvani (Austin), Elizabeth Hillmann Garrett (Phoenix), Armin Abbasian (Mashhad) and his sister Faraneh Oraei Abbassian (Germany), Nima Djafarian and his sister Ayda Redeker (Germany), Yashar Abbasian (Canada) and his sister Sara (Tehran).

Reza is also survived by these grand nieces and grand nephews: Grant Myers (Florida), Sasha Seyvani (Houston) and his brothers Arya Seyvani (Dallas) and Shervin Seyvani (Austin), Jack, Gracie and Max Garrett (Phoenix), and Henry Redeker (Germany).

After graduating from Danesh va Honar High School in Mashhad, Reza attended the Abadan Institute of Technology (AIT) from which he graduated with a B.S. degree in General Engineering. Reza continued his studies at The University of Texas at Austin, earning an M.A. in Applied Mathematics, an M.S. in Engineering Mechanics, and a Ph.D. degree in Engineering Mechanics/Applied Mathematics.

From 1983 to 2025, Reza was on the faculty at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, in due course as Professor of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Data Science, and as Chair of the Department of Mathematics & Computer Science. During those 40+ years, Reza participated actively in academic conferences around the country, often presenting papers on new methods of teaching Mathematics. He was looking forward to a conference in San Francisco later in 2025.

A voracious reader, Reza had academic expertise in Iranian history from the mid-19th century onward and regularly contributed to online discussions, often about the Mosaddeq Era. His personal library featured a sizable collection of memoirs by prominent Iranian political figures.

Reza traveled often to Europe, Turkey, and Iran. He, Sorayya, and Fahimeh together visited Prague once. Among places that he and Maggie visited were Mexico on multiple occasions, Canada once, Belize, Bosnia, Croatia, England, Paris, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey. Two of their favorite destinations were less traveled Greek Islands and Ireland. He and Maggie had planned a late 2025 trip to Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Armenia with Reza’s long-time friend Selim Seyhan and his wife Tüley.

Reza loved cats and supported Austin Humane Society programs. When he fell ill in late November and was later bedridden at home in Austin, he made arrangements with a neighbor to feed and otherwise attend to his cats at his house in McQueeney.

On his high school wrestling team in Mashhad and on the volleyball team at AIT, Reza played volleyball and basketball his whole life, He also followed American college and professional sports avidly, as well as international soccer and volleyball.

After Reza’s cancer diagnosis, he and Maggie decided to make the most of the remaining time they had together as a married couple. They tied the knot under the shade of the massive oak tree at Austin’s Central Park on New Year’s Eve 2024. Reza apologized for taking 23 years to propose, but Maggie assured him it was all good, better late than never. It was a bittersweet moment, but they still celebrated their love and commitment.

On Saturday, 19 April 2025 at their home in Austin, Sorayya and Michael Hillmann hosted a memorial gathering for Reza who passed away five days earlier. Pari and Mehdi Mokarram and their son Alireza are hosting a similar gathering at their Houston home on Friday, 25 April 2025.

A celebration of Reza's life will take place at Weed Corley Fish Funeral Home in Austin at 5416 Parkcrest Drive on Sunday, May 4th, at 3 pm. Family members, friends, and colleagues will present remembrances. In lieu of flowers, attendees may consider contributions to Amnesty International, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Austin Humane Society.