Obituary of Abbas Atashafraze Mehrabani

April 10, 1964 – Tehran, Iran

August 10, 2023 – Calgary, Alberta

Abbas Mehrabani (Combi), born April 10, 1964 (technically 1962) in Tehran, Iran, passed away on Thursday, August 10, 2023, in Calgary, Alberta at the age of 59 (well… 61).
 

Abbas’ untimely death leaves a giant hole in the hearts of his family and friends here in Canada, back in Iran, and around the world. He was a one-of-a-kind character with a heart of gold. With his loud and expressive voice, Abbas was a free-spirted person whose zest for life was unmatched. He will be remembered for a lot of things like his generous heart, but especially for his exuberant personality that simply could not be ignored.

Needing to channel his high-spirited energy, Abbas’ father put him into sports, and this is where he fell in love with wrestling. During this time, he was able to achieve the status of a world championship wrestler with the Iranian National Team in 1982. With his team, he traveled around the globe to places like Italy, the UK, Canada, and South America.

Soon after, a young Abbas found himself living in Venezuela, then in California where he had cousins. From there, he moved to Montreal where he worked as a bouncer in clubs and eventually moved to Calgary in the early 1990s.

It was in Calgary that he settled and became a father. Abbas took on this role with a great sense of responsibility and pride. Abbas’ daughters sincerely were his life and his love for them never wavered, but instead strengthened through the hardships.

Abbas had volunteered as a wrestling coach and more recently, would help and visit with community members at the Women in Need in Bridgeland, including sending money to an orphanage in Iran. He loved cooking, exercising, shopping, history and alien tv shows, dancing, and blasting all kinds of music, but particularly Spanish and rock and roll music (or how he would say, “rockin’ roll”). Abbas loved to start his day with some coffee and happy music. Abbas’ daughters will especially miss fighting over his tahdig (crispy pita w/rice).

Although Abbas’ mind was that of an athlete, in his final years he struggled with some physical ailments. Despite this, Abbas never let these setbacks get him down. As a fighter at heart, he believed you can do anything you set your mind too. What his family saw at times as stubbornness, really was Abbas’ strong will and determination in living the life he wanted too.

Abbas was truly a larger-than-life person. He cared so deeply for his family and shared these values with everyone he met. Being able to speak five different languages, Abbas was a natural conversationalist. You could always find him on the phone chatting away. His family jokes that Abbas loved talking so much so that he secretly liked when he had to call customer service lines (maybe that’s how he always got the best deals!). But Abbas especially loved talking with Jameleh, who was not just a cousin but a true best friend to him throughout his life. All of Abbas’ family in Iran will truly miss receiving his regular calls to them through videocalls as he nurtured these relationships through the phone.

Abbas loved to make people laugh, especially in the morning. He was constantly joking around and his part of him will be sincerely missed. Even through his, at times, hard to understand English, he was able to share his infectious energy and love of life with family, friends, and strangers alike. Expressing his love to people through the countless nicknames he would give them.

While Abbas’ life ended too soon, Abbas lived more than people do in 100 years. He had numerous stories he liked to share that will forever be cherished. Abbas expressed many times that he was content because he lived his life from when he was young and had a life rich with experience. He lived to make sure his daughters were taken care of and that they had opportunities to succeed.
 

The name Abbas in Persian means Lion, and without a doubt, Abbas embodied his name title through his bravery, strength, and tenacious attitude as evident throughout his life. Abbas’ daughters remember him saying, “With one call, you can make someone happy”. So, his family hopes that he can be honoured by remembering to let people know that you love them and to start the day with a smile.

As we mourn the loss of a great man, father, brother, provider, and listener, may we still allow ourselves to lean into his strength and relish in the fact that we were able to experience the deep love he shared with us in this lifetime. How lucky were we?

Abbas is survived by his daughters, Natasha, and Emma, mother of his children, Christina (Alksne), his sister Shamsi (Atashafrazeh), brother Hamid and wife Soraya (Atashafrazeh), and father Hossein (Atashafrazeh). As well as many, many cousins (Jemeleh, Leyli, Maryam, Farideh, Azadeh, Helen, Farahnaz, Arezu), nephews (Omid, Amir, Ashkan, Hooman, Hesam, and grandnephew Ryan), nieces (Neda, Helia), extended family, and many friends throughout the world. Abbas was predeceased by his beloved mother Fatemeh (Hashemi), grandparents, and brother-in-law Reza (Amiri).

A Memorial Service will be held at First Assembly Church (6031 Elbow Dr SW, Calgary, AB) on Monday August 28, 2023 at 11:30 a.m. Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed with Abbas’ family here.

In living memory of Abbas Mehrabani, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Fish Creek, 14441 Bannister Road SE, Calgary, Ab t2x 3j3, Telephone: 403-256-9575.