Ali Vareth

Colonel Ali Vareth was born August 28, 1938 in Tehran, Iran, to parents Mohtaram Darbandi and Akbar Vareth. Ali lost both his father and mother to cancer when he was very young. He was raised by his uncle who he considered to be his role model throughout his life. Mourning the loss of his beloved parents gave Ali a renewed sense of meaning that offered purpose and direction to his life. In his eyes, life became a gift, and every single day he considered himself lucky to be here and privileged to experience hardships and obstacles. He became the guy who always saw the glass half full simply because he knew the amount of luck it took to have lived that long. He always lived in the present, never dwelled in the past, and never worried about future.

From a young age, he was fascinated with learning and had a thirst for knowledge. Ali graduated from Alborz High School in Tehran and shortly after he joined the Imperial Iranian Air Force Academy in 1958. From hundreds of candidates that applied to become a pilot, he was one of the only 10 men who exceeded all expectation, passed all challenges, and successfully finished the training and was chosen to be sent off to United States for advanced training. He graduated from Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio Texas in 1960 and Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma in 1962. In years to follow, he served his country and he traveled the world. One of his proudest memories was the 6 months he served under the United Nations peacekeeping force in Congo, Africa, as a pilot.

Ali was an aviator, he was a husband, he was a warrior, he was a brother, he was a peacekeeper, he was a friend, and he was a hero. He was defined by love, compassion and his sense of duty to humanity. These are all of the titles and roles of a life that's been well lived but they're not the greatest of his titles nor the most important of his roles. The best of Ali, the greatest of his titles and the important of his roles was as a father and he was an incredible one.

Ali will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 44 years, Behdokht and his three children, Maryam, Matin, and Mina. Ali will also be fondly remembered by his brother, Hossein and his sister Fahimeh and all his many nieces and nephews. Despite his passing, his legacy remains. His passion for travel and people, his love for life and learning will continue to be passed down with each generation.

Funeral service for Ali will be held on Thursday, November 7, 2019 at 1:00 PM at Mount Vernon Memorial Park, 8201 Greenback Lane, Fair Oaks, California 95628, followed by a committal at 2:00 PM.