Born February 7, 1939 and passed peacefully, surrounded by her daughters and sons-in-laws, on June 16, 2021, just eight weeks after her husband and life partner of 62 years passed away. Manijeh was a free spirit who dedicated her life to lovingly taking care of her doting family.
Manijeh and her younger brother were raised by their mother and father, Mansoureh (Khalili) and Abbas Roshan, in Tehran, Iran, where their father had a thriving camera and photo processing business. They were proud descendants of the first generation of Baha’is – a progressive and peaceful religion founded in 1844.Though they had firm household rules, the Roshan family was known for their adventurous spirit with frequent trips to the Caspian Sea in Northern Iran, exquisite cuisine including Abbas’ exotic finds from specialty markets, lively family gatherings, and fiercely independent thinking.
In spite of her strict upbringing, Manijeh was a rule-breaker in spirit and in action. Though disarmingly beautiful, she did not fit any female stereotypes of the time. She often told stories of her childhood mischief and rebellious tomboy antics, which frequently included getting in trouble with her favorite male playmates – brother, Bijan, and cousins, Feridoon, Parviz and Iraj. They would fall from trees they weren’t supposed to climb or be chased by farmers after they’d climbed over the fence to steal juicy melons. Even when she wasn’t playing rough and tumble, she still managed to break the rules with her best friend, Gloria. Maintaining their close friendship for more than 70 years, they never stopped laughing about the countless times they took their lunch money and skipped school to go the movies instead, idolizing the American stars on the big screen – Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn.
At only 19 years old, Manijeh’s life changed forever when she received a letter from Detroit, Michigan containing a marriage proposal from her love-struck suitor, Dr. Siavosh Varjavandi, a gentle and brilliant family friend who had left Iran to finish his medical training in the United States. Nervous and a bit shocked, she found herself flying alone to Detroit, a new world where she didn’t speak the language; didn’t know the customs, culture or food; and didn’t know how to drive, cook or manage a home .After a few months of a proper courtship, Sia proposed again in person and – fortunately – Manijeh accepted with a smile. They married in Detroit on December 12, 1958 with just one other couple present – dear friends for the rest of their lives.
Within a year, Manijeh and Sia welcomed their first baby girl, Azita, into their lives. Once Manijeh held her tiny baby in her arms, her life’s path seemed to lay out in front of her – she was a devoted and model mother, first, foremost and forever. Based on the stacks of family albums and hours of home movies, it appears that for the first five years of her life, Azita was continuously in her mother’s arms – both of them laughing and bursting with happiness. Taking care of her family was the most natural and important thing in the world to Manijeh every day for the rest of her life.
When Sia’s medical residency was completed, the young family of three returned to Tehran where Sia started a private urology practice. Sadly, Manijeh’s father had died just prior to their return to Tehran, and never had the chance to meet his granddaughter. Manijeh idolized her father and was heart-broken by his early and sudden passing. But she moved forward with joy when their second daughter, Kathy (aka Kate), was born.
In 1966, Manijeh and Sia made the difficult but fortuitous decision to move to the United States permanently where their seven- and two-year-old daughters could grow up with ample opportunities and freedoms. They settled in Grand Blanc, Michigan just outside of Flint, where Sia practiced medicine for the next 27 years. Manijeh proved to be a strong and admired matriarch for all her family – near and far. Soon after moving to Grand Blanc, she sent for her mother to come live with them. Shortly later, her brother made the journey and lived nearby to pursue his college education, career and own family.
Manijeh generously volunteered her time in Grand Blanc and Flint. As always, her primary focus was her daughters, so her initial volunteerism focused on them. From the time Kathy started nursery school through third grade, Manijeh volunteered in her classroom as a tutor knowing her extremely shy daughter needed the security of her presence. She also volunteered as Kathy’s Brownie Troop co-leader. Manijeh then extended her love of motherhood to helping other moms and children who didn’t have her blessings: she volunteered with March of Dimes focusing on neonatal care for underserved pregnant women, and the Mott Foundation / Whaley House helping women and children from abusive homes. She indulged her love of art by becoming a docent at the Flint Institute of Art, and supported her husband’s leadership in the medical community by serving on the Genesee County Medical Society (GCMS) Women’s Auxiliary. She worked on many events for GCMS, and accepted an invitation to be a runway model in a fashion show fundraiser, which won her many admiring gazes and applause, especially from her enamored husband.
Manijeh was widely admired for being glamorous, but never flashy. She had an easy elegance and style she brought to her impeccable appearance, gracious home and fabulous dinner parties.Those who knew her well, knew she stubbornly did only the things she wanted to do, but she did them better than anyone else. Manijeh was a phenomenal cook. Her Persian cuisine was everybody’s favorite (her fesenjoon, ghormeh sabzi and bademjoon were especially favored by her two American sons-in-law) and a source of tremendous pride. Her signature annual Thanksgiving parties for 40 close family and friends were excitedly anticipated for months. She was an impeccable hostess whether it was a picnic in the park, dinner for family, or a large formal affair – even hosting three beautiful wedding ceremonies in her home -- for her brother, eldest daughter and nephew. Many of her high-style dresses she sewed herself, along with school clothes for her daughters, and curtains and bedspreads for their home. And, she was the most athletic in the family, enjoying tennis with her husband and friends, as well as bicycling and swimming with her girls.
Manijeh was unapologetically direct and stubborn, but somehow, she made this a charming and endearing quality that everyone enjoyed. As her family always joked, “Mom’s favorite word is ‘NO.’” Her daughters looked up to her as not only a tender mother who loved them unconditionally, but as the strongest woman they ever knew, most evident after an accident in her home left Manijeh with a life-threatening traumatic brain injury. With a family who depended on her – including two young grandchildren – the doctors’ bleak prognosis was not a match for Manijeh’s determination and hard work to recuperate and return to being the strong matriarch her husband and family adored. During the 13 years following her miraculous recovery, she saw her youngest daughter happily marry, took pride in seeing all four of her grandchildren grow up to be happy young adults, and navigated three moves with Sia.
In 1994, Manijeh and Sia retired to San Juan Capistrano, California – close to each of their siblings and under the warm Southern California sun. With Kathy living in Manhattan and Azita and her husband, David, in nearby Montclair, New Jersey, Manijeh found it hard to fully enjoy her beautiful West Coast community so far from her daughters. Happily, with the arrival of their first grandchildren (twins born to Azita and David in 1999), Manijeh and Sia bought a second home just a few minutes down the road from Azita and Dave. Until the twins were seven months old, Manijeh spent virtually all her time in New Jersey helping in every way, even sleeping over nights with one of the twins so David could get some sleep before his long days at work. After Kathy and her husband, Edward, and their two children also moved to Montclair, Manijeh and Sia decided it was time to leave California all-together and live full-time in New Jersey, where they could spend all the rest of their days with their beloved daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
Everything Manijeh did – even the most ordinary tasks – she did beautifully. When she arranged fruit on a platter it looked like art suitable for a gallery. Birthday presents she wrapped were so gorgeous, the packages were more coveted than the gifts.Her gardens were lovingly arranged with unique blooms, and weeded to perfection.She decorated her home with exquisite artifacts she collected from their travels to Alaska, China, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Thailand, Russia and above all – Iran. Though she created a gorgeous world around her and her family, she still stood out as the most stunning of it all.
Manijeh’s friends and family who so dearly loved her remember her as “one-of-a-kind,” with a vibrant life that burst forth in what could seem like bold contradictions but fit together perfectly in her. Until her final days, Manijeh had a magical smile that melted hearts. She will always be remembered for her charm, beauty and elegance; her free spirit, unyielding stubbornness and independence; her boisterous personality and humor; and mostly, her all-encompassing devotion to her family’s happiness, and loving loyalty to her husband, who was her adoring partner all her life. Those who miss her most, take some comfort knowing Manijeh and Sia are together, the only place they ever wanted to be. She is lovingly remembered by her daughters, Azita and Kathy; sons-in-law, David and Edward; grandchildren, Jordan Shereen, Jason, Jordan Eric, and Emily; dear brother, Bijan, and sister-in-law, Jaleh; and the many friends, cousins, nieces and nephews who adored her.
To honor Manijeh Varjavandi’s life, donation can be made to the Siavosh & Manijeh Varjavandi Flint Community Health Fund (at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint) dedicated to the long-term health of area residents: online at cfgf.org/varjavandi or mail check (reference Varjavandi) to Community Foundation of Greater Flint, 500 S. Saginaw St. Suite 200, Flint, MI 48502
