Farhoud Kafi

Farhoud Kafi, 78, passed away on Sunday October 20, 2024 of complications after heart surgery.

The second of four children, born to Mahin Haeri and Abbas Mirza Kafi on September 11, 1946 in Mashad, Iran, he was preceded by both his parents and youngest sister, Farzaneh.

A lifelong believer in the importance of education, Farhoud left Iran to obtain his first of several degrees in Karachi, Pakistan, and then continued on to San Francisco, California, and finally Boston, MA. Early in his time in California, he met his wife, Shokoofeh Haeri Kafi, and knew immediately that she was the love of his life. They married three months later, and shortly thereafter moved to the Boston area, where they settled and raised their two children.

Farhoud is survived by his wife, Shokoofeh, his son Yashar Kafi and daughter-in-law Maryam Kafi, and granddaughter Aryana Kafi of Weston, MA, as well as his daughter Laili Kafi Gonzalez and son-in-law Paul Gonzalez, and their three children Mateo, Lucas and Maia Gonzalez of Weston, MA. He also leaves behind a devoted extended family of siblings, sibling-in-laws, nieces, nephews and grand nieces and nephews, for whom he was a very beloved figurehead in the family.

Farhoud’s love and passion for education was a defining theme of his life. As a professor in Economics at Babson College, Hult, and Suffolk University where he continued to teach long after his “retirement” (something that did not seem to ever be in his immediate career plans), he touched the lives of thousands of students and colleagues alike. His work in education took him all over the world, supporting the expansion of educational programs and even establishing new campuses through his work at Hult and Babson Global. His sense of curiosity and exploration, coupled with his thirst for knowledge, allowed him the opportunity to travel from Brazil to Azerbaijan to China, to name a few of the places he left his indelible mark on the educational landscape. Farhoud did everything with a zeal and dedication that was hard to match. He was such a dedicated teacher that even in the moments before his surgery, he was working on his lesson plans.

Throughout his life, Farhoud had many other passions, of which cars and gardening were two very notable ones.

His love of cars was so evident, and his personality so vibrant, that friends, neighbors and even passersby sometimes came just to have a conversation with him about cars. His skill under the hood was matched by his knowledge and history of classic cars and the cars of his youth.

His penchant for gardening can be seen so clearly in the beautiful gardens he tended to with the fondness, devotion, diligence, creativity and determination that was so evident in most everything he did.

But Farhoud’s greatest passion, beyond education and cars, was family. He was an incredibly loving and dedicated husband and father, setting the bar incredibly high for what a relationship, and parenting, should be. He never wavered in his love, his strength, his support, and his understanding. His wisdom and patience extended beyond just his immediate family, becoming a beloved guide, support and friend to his siblings, siblings-in law, nieces, nephews and cousins. His dedication to family was so strong that he continued to support members of his extended family throughout his life, be it through his time, his love, and even in his home, taking in various family members when they needed. He was beloved across generations. To his wife, he was truly her other half and greatest love. To his children, he was their champion, their mentor, their greatest friend.

Farhoud was so much more than just a husband, father and teacher. He was a man of incredible optimism, love and dedication. His generous spirit and love of teaching often lead him to support everyone around him - from friends and family to the random people he crossed paths with - whether it was with his sage advice, his business acumen, or simply his loving spirit. Farhoud left an indelible mark on his family, both immediate and extended, his friends and colleagues and the lives of many of his students. He was an angel amongst men, and he will be forever missed.

Services are private.

Donations in Farhoud's memory may be made to:

https://www.kafifoundryfoundation.org/