Dr. Laleh Bahar

arrest while on vacation in Istanbul, Turkey.

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Dr. Laleh Bahar, 61, of Apollo Beach, Florida, passed away on Wednesday, June 8th, 2021, following a cardiac arrest.

Laleh was born on May 7th, 1961 to Jalil and Merya Bahar in Tehran, Iran. From her very early days, her Chemistry teacher mother, and Diplomat father took her, alongside her brother Bamdad and sister Nasim to numerous countries. Laleh attended American International Schools in Iran and Brazil until moving to the UK where she attended Twickenham Girls School and Godolphin and Latymer in London. Poland was the last country her parents were posted in, resulting in Polish being added to her large repertoire of languages, which already included Portuguese, Persian, and English. In 1979, she went on to study Medicine at Warsaw Medical Academy, Poland.

In 1986, Laleh moved to the USA to specialize in Pediatrics, driven by her passion to care for and protect children. Trained in Pediatrics at Georgetown University, Washington DC, she followed her passion by doing her Fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Tampa General Hospital, Florida. In 1995, Laleh was the medical director of the Child Protection Team in Hillsborough County, Florida.

Laleh practiced Emergency Pediatric Medicine in Southern Florida since 1992. She worked at John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St Petersburg, St Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, Tampa as well as at Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital, Orlando. At the time of her passing, Laleh was the vice-chair of the division of pediatric emergency medicine at All Children’s Specialty Physicians, St Petersburg.

Her lifelong passion for music and art is shared with her son Charlie, who often plays classical piano in her spare time. She is remembered by her mother, son, siblings, nieces, and nephews for her sense of humor and kindness, which lovingly touched many lives.

Laleh is survived by her son Charlie, her mother Merya, her brother Bamdad, her sister Nasim, her nieces Pegah & Lauryn, and her nephew Piroz as well as her beloved partner, Sal.

Laleh lived a full life as a caring physician, a loving partner, and a beloved mother, and was deeply loved by all. It is an immense tragedy that she had to leave us all so suddenly. She will be greatly missed by her family, friends, and colleagues.

The Funeral Service for Laleh will begin at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park, 2853 Sunset Point Road, Clearwater, FL, 33759 on July 2nd, 2022 at 12:15 pm followed by the Burial Service at 2:00 pm across the street at the Garden of Hope. A traditional Memorial Service and Family Gathering in Laleh’s memory will be held in August in Chester, MD.

Cards, flowers, or memorial items should be sent c/o Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park 2853 Sunset Point Road, Clearwater Florida, 33759.

We are also happy for any donations to be sent to the Save the Manatee Club https://www.savethemanatee.org/. It really cheered her up and gave her much joy and peace