Kolich Sangari

Kolich Sangari, of Urmia, Iran, passed away at the age of 87 on Friday, September 14, 2018 in Morton Grove, Illinois. Named after the U.S. President Calvin Coolidge, he was born on February 20, 1931, in the village of Sangar, to Sargis and Sanam (Nissan) Sangari, the youngest and last remaining of their 15 children.

After receiving his Bachelor of Science from the University of Tehran, Kolich went on to teach physics at both the high school and college levels in Urmia. On April 13, 1961, he married the love of his life, Flora Betyousef. Following the Iranian Revolution, they moved with their four children to Chicago in order to keep them safe from war and provide them with every opportunity to study and prosper. In the US, Kolich worked a series of factory jobs and as a security guard without complaint, believing that it was his duty to ensure that his children all graduated from college and built careers in their chosen professions.

He is survived by Flora, his wife of 57 years; his four children and seven grandchildren: daughter Sabrina; daughter Marina, married to Narsai Solomon and their children Gregory, Eric, and Michael; son Lieutenant Colonel (USA) Sargis Sangari married to Helen (Saliba) and their children Ashur, Nineveh, Atalia, and Sargon; son Kristofer; his nephews Robert and James Yohanan and their families; as well as numerous family members around the world.

A wake will take place at Drake & Son Funeral Home 5303 N Western Ave Chicago on Tuesday September 18 from 4-9pm. Being a devout Assyrian Christian, Kolich will have a full funeral mass at St. Ephrem (Mar Aprim) Chaldean Rite Catholic Church 2537 W Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago, on Wednesday, September 19 at 10 AM prior to interment at Rosehill Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made in Kolich’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association. https://www.alz.org/illinois/donate