Dr. Cyrus Bakhtiar: A Tribute Cyrus Bakhtiar was a man of remarkable kindness and adventurous spirit, blessed with a brilliant mind. He was well-read, thoughtful, and deeply reflective. His love for Iran was profound, as captured in a heartfelt letter he wrote to his mother Helen Jeffreys Bakhtiar, expressing his adoration for the country's natural beauty, rich culture, and historical grandeur.
During his middle and high school years he attended Bullis Prep in Washington, DC, and excelled academically. He attended Harvard for a time and later graduated from the University of California's medical school in LA in 1962. On January 9, 1971, when his father Abol Ghassem Bakhtiar passed away, Cyrus was there, participating in the burial rites in Tus. This experience profoundly impacted him, as he embraced his Iranian roots.
Tragic End and Legacy On Christmas Day in 1975, Cyrus's life was tragically cut short when he drowned in the Potomac River. Despite being a great swimmer, he succumbed to the powerful currents while trying to seek help during an accident. His older brother Jamshid, took Cyrus to Iran. He is buried in Tus next to his father Abol Ghassem Bakhtiar and his mother Helen Jeffreys Bakhtiar.
A Heartfelt Letter to Helen Cyrus's love for Iran was beautifully encapsulated in a letter to Helen, where he wrote: "Mother, forgive me if I strike you as a primitive individual, but these are the things I love. I love the rough, snow-capped mountains; I love the green valleys where a shepherd is always found leading his flocks; I love the camel caravans; I love the clang and clamor of Persian bazaars where purchasing an article is an art; I love the magnificent culture of Isfahan and Shiraz where perfumed gardens scented with the exotic aroma of Persian roses are plentiful, where palaces of kings still stand as a monument to a once great and fabulous nation, where mosques with their ineffable majesty and beauty lend a religious and profound atmosphere to the city. These mosques, whose myriad array of patterns and colors paint a subtle, peaceful picture, these edifices of incomparable beauty are symbols of the Iranians' devout faith in God." Cyrus Bakhtiar's life was a blend of brilliance and tragedy, marked by his profound connection to his roots and his enduring legacy of kindness and intellectual curiosity.