Jahan Farzam, LLMSW

Jahan was born on November 26, 1985 in Lansing, Michigan to Ali and Debra (Wood) Farzam. He graduated from East Lansing High School in 2004 and went on to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree from Spring Arbor University in spring of 2009. Jahan then pursued and completed his Master’s Degree in Social Work from Walden University in 2015.

Jahan was born profoundly deaf and was the first child in the state of Michigan to receive the cochlear implant. This allowed him to become fluent in sign language and also be able to communicate with the hearing world.

Jahan worked as a mental health therapist in Indianapolis, Indiana and was a telehealth therapist in the Grand Rapids and Lansing area. He counseled substance abuse individuals and families’ clients in the Lansing area and was a mental health therapist for the deaf for the Genesee Health System in Flint. One of his fondest memories was being a counselor and assistant camp director of Camp Chris Williams for deaf adolescents.

Jahan was a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and was formally the Vice President of Michigan Deaf and Hearing Services. In 2018, he was nominated by Governor Rick Snyder to the Michigan Board of Interpreters for Deaf, Deaf Blind and Hard of Hearing.

Jahan is survived by his parents, Ali and Debra Farzam of Suttons Bay, MI; brother, Shawn Farzam (Lisa) of East Lansing, MI; uncles, Edward Wood of Denver, CO, Parviz Farzam-Behboodi (Shirin) of Ontario, Canada, and Hamid Farzam-Behboodi (Shecufeh) of Istanbul, Turkey; aunt, Parvin Manie (Zeino) of Tehran, Iran; cousin, Emily Gruzinski (Jordan) of Baltimore, MD; niece, Mina Farzam; and nephews, Reza Farzam and Kian Farzam of East Lansing, MI.

A funeral service for Jahan will be held on Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at 6:00 PM, with a three-hour prior visitation from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM, at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes East Chapel, 1730 East Grand River Ave., East Lansing, MI 48823.

Contributions in Jahan's memory may be made to Michigan Coalition for Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deafblind People, In Care of Camp Chris Williams, PO Box 980553, Ypsilanti, Michigan 48198-0553.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.greastlansing.com for Jahan's family.