Dr. Shahrokh Safari's Obituary
A memorial service for Dr. Safari will be 10 am Friday, February 1, 2013 at the Rader Funeral Home Chapel in Longview.
Dr. Safari was born in Iran on November 27, 1959. He came to America in January 1979. He went to a Catholic school for undergraduate premed courses at Our Lady of the Lake University. He completed his English-as-a Second Language program and then was able to obtain his Bachelor of Arts degree in premed, biology and chemistry.
In January of 1984 he attended the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in Montserrate British Indies.
He married his wife in 1986 and finished medical school in October of 1987.
While he was waiting to pass his United States medical licensure exams he obtained a Master's Degree in Public Health from the University of Texas at Houston School of Public Health. At that time he also worked at the University of Texas at San Antonio on his MS in neurobiology and was a teaching assistant at UT San Antonio as well.
Dr. Safari also worked briefly at the Texas Department of Health in Austin as a junior state epidemiologist once he obtained his master's in public health. In July of 1995 he started his internship at the Austin State Hospital in Austin, Texas. He then transferred to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at the Parkland Hospital for his residency in psychiatry.
He completed his training by also taking a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Medicine at Children's Medical Center in Dallas in June of 2000.
He next moved to Longview to work for the Sabine Valley Center for Mental Health/Mental Retardation, now called the Community Health Corps. He was required to work in a federally designated underserved area for three years in order to obtain his visa status waiver and to become a permanent United States resident and he selected the Sabine center for his service.
After completing his required three years for permanent status, he started his private practice. He established a clinic primarily for children in Longview, Marshall, Henderson, Gilmer and Tyler. He had a busy practice, serving many children of all ages and many children on Medicaid.
Dr. Safari is survived by his wife Angela of 26 years and his three children: Roxanne, Sarah, and Ashkahn. The children attend Trinity School of Texas in Longview, there, the Safari's felt they would be exposed to Christianity and could feel free to grow in the faith of their choice.
Dr. Safari was always proud of his Persian/Iranian/American culture. He loved America even before he came to America. He was compassionate and caring to his patients and he understood and cared for poor patients, as well. He was consistent, focused, persistent and extremely hard working.
Dr. Safari was dedicated to his home town here in Longview and he claimed East Texas as his home.
He felt a great compassion for foster children. Please consider contributing to: Buckner Children and Family Services, 110 E. Cotton St., Longview, TX 75601www.buckner.org – 903-757-9383.
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