Obituary of Morteza Anvari

Please also visit the families memorial page at Dr. Morteza Anvari Dr. Morteza Anvari passed away peacefully November 30, 2010, in Olympia, Washington. May his soul rest in peace. Born January 29, 1931, in Tehran, Iran, Morteza was the oldest son of a large and loving family. He led a respectful life of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. He departed having found the balance of form and meaning sought in a lifetime of social, cultural, educational, scientific, artistic, recreational and spiritual pursuits. Morteza graduated from Alborz High School in 1949 and received a B.S. in Physics from the University of Tehran in 1953. After 3 years of teaching high school in Gorgan, Iran, he was granted a scholarship to continue his studies in the United States. He received his Masters and Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Illinois in 1962. There he started his brilliant career as a professor of mathematics and computer science. 1962 to 1968, he taught and conducted research at Ohio State University, the University of British Columbia and L' Institut Henri Poincare in Paris, France. In 1968 he returned to Iran to establish and lead the Mathematics Department at Aryamehr University (now Sharif University). In 1970, under his leadership with the vision and collaboration of other faculty, the department expanded to include Computer Science. In 1973, Professor Anvari was given the responsibility to enrich the curriculum at Aryamehr University beyond the considerable weight in technical fields by developing the Humanities Center. He hired eminent writers, poets, artists, philosophers, psychologists and sociologists to teach courses that would enhance the students’ education. Perhaps Dr. Anvari’s greatest contribution was as founder and president of the College of Planning and Computer Applications in Tehran in 1974. In the decade leading up to the Revolution, he spearheaded many enduring academic programs and thoughtfully watched over the education of thousands of young Iranians. Thus he deserves the well-earned title: Father of Computer Education in Iran. After the Iranian revolution of 1979, Dr. Anvari came back to the United States and taught at California State University and the University of California at Berkeley. It was at Berkeley where, as a Research Scientist, he became the director of Zadeh Institute for Information Technology. Dr. Anvari's wide knowledge of mathematics and computer technology led to many invitations for lectures and work in many countries. One such invitation came from Iran's Ministry of Communication, in 2003, to found the National Center for Information and Communication Technologies. It was the first of its kind in Iran. His last initiatives were cut short by a series of strokes that hampered his mobility and concentration. Being a man of diverse interests, he enjoyed reading and translating Persian poetry, concerts of classical music, and time with family. Morteza leaves behind his beloved wife, Nancy, of 52 years, two sons, Alex and Rennie, six grandchildren, sisters Simin, Nahid, Parvin and brother Mostafa, many nieces and nephews, hundreds of friends, and thousands of grateful former students. Please visit the family's memorial page at You may also leave memories of Morteza and condolences for the family by clicking on the "view guestbook" link below.