Kari Riding Ghaffari Obituary (1964 - 2014)

A Tribute to a Beautiful Human Being: Twenty-nine years ago Kari Riding Ghaffari first showcased her kindness and courage to me when she approached me, and changed my life forever. Two years later, I married my best friend. Monday, May 7th, 2014 our son Alex and I lost her after a long and hard battle with Multiple Sclerosis. The last few years were incredibly hard on all of us, especially for her. The amazing thing about Kari was that even through all the pain and suffering, all of her attributes still shined through. Her positive outlook on life, and her positive personality filled us all with love. We are all better people because of her. Kari loved her childhood. She stayed connected and true to her childhood to the bitter end. The little town of Stockton and her friends in Stockton made her happy. It made her incredibly sad that she could not make the 45-minute trip to Stockton anymore because of the excruciating pain and her limitations. But she stayed in touch with her childhood and her beloved Stockton. Stockton made her happy, and she put a smile on the town of Stockton every time she visited. I was once told to take care of Kari, for she was the pride and joy of Stockton. That little town lost a very important daughter on May 7th. Kari's ambition for a better life took her out of Stockton and to the Utah State University. She became the first female to graduate from college in her family. Yet, Utah State was not enough for her. Her love for life, adventure, and learning brought her to University of Delaware as an exchange student in February of 1985. I was the lucky beneficiary of that beautiful life. When I met her, the very first three sentences out of her mouth made my life richer as I fell madly in love with her. She asked if I was from the Middle East? She then asked me if I happened to be from Iran? Finally with her third sentence, in broken Farsi, she told me that she could speak a little Farsi. Life was never the same for Kari and I after those three sentences. Two years later we were married. After graduation, Kari found employment at Peat Marwick and Main as an auditor. Soon she became a certified public accountant by passing her CPA exam. The next step in her professional career was being accepted in the MBA program at the University of Utah. That is when our son Alexander joined us in our beautiful journey. Kari stopped the pursuit of her MBA dream to be able to spend more time with her family. No one was surprised. Kari loved her family unconditionally. When MS slowed her down to the point of Long Term Disability, she still used her positive attitude and love to justify all the pain and suffering that she was going through. She always was happy to be able to spend more time with Alex and I. Despite her limitations, she provided lots of unforgettable opportunities for Alex to enjoy his childhood. Kari displayed her unconditional love by taking care of her ailing mother and father to the bitter end. She provided comfort and love for both of them in her own home. They died peaceful deaths in her care. She never once thought about herself and her own struggles with health. Selfless Kari knew only about giving and loving. No one was surprised. Kari's favorite times were traveling to different parts of the world. We traveled to Europe, Iran, Canada and many other places. Her laughter and joy was apparent in every second of our trips. She talked and had fun with every person passing by. To this day we have friends across the globe because of Kari's outgoing personality. Kari met my family for the first time in 2005 when we made a family trip to Iran. She soon became the favorite person in every gathering. Her ability to communicate and get along with everyone replaced her inability to speak the language. She communicated with my mother and father through her huge heart and laughter. Her family in Iran is saddened for the lost a favorite daughter. Kari loved many things among them music and animals. Our dog, Chinook, put a smile on Kari's soul. Alex's dog, Nala, made Kari happy. Our cat Mooshi could do no wrong. Our many trips to Canada always ended up at African Safari at Cambridge in Toronto. She loved the elephant sanctuary in that place. She would spend hours sitting in the shade observing every move of those elephants. Her last words on this earth were "please pamper Mooshi and Nala." Everyone who knew Kari knew Kari's love of music. Our house always was filled with music. I will forever have Kari's image of dancing in her chair in my heart and soul. She loved to listen to music, talk about music, and read about music. Her range of music was as unique as she was. She attended concerts as much as she could. From Ray Charles to Frank Sinatra, Billy Idle to Billy Joel, Sting to Paul Simon, Neil Young to Bob Dillon, U2 and everyone in between all the way to her favorite Dave Mathews whom she had a love like no other. Her love for music added a special flavor to our lives. But the most important quality of this beautiful human being was her positive attitude, courage, and dignity. She showed those qualities when facing MS. She handled this disease with grace and dignity. She never complained. She never asked to be treated any different. She never blamed anyone, nor did she ask for favors. Yet, she was always thankful of those who helped. She dealt with her life and traveled the path in front of her with a contagious smile at all times. Kari lost many things in her nineteen years of battling with MS. Life had become hard for her. However; she lived every year with passion and courage. She did not let the disease defeat her. She was in charge all the way to the end. That's the only way she knew to live. I lost my wife and friend. Alex lost his mother. But Kari was more than that to us all. Humanity lost a valuable member on May 7th, 2014. We will never be the same. Thank you my love. Thank you for all the memories. Thank you for touching us and teaching us how to be better human beings. As your beloved Dave Mathews sings, you were an, "Angel Everyday"…and …"When you are not here…it's hard to pretend…it's all right again" TO KNOW YOU WAS TO LOVE YOU. If you wish to honor her memory, you can donate in her name to Humane Society of Utah, which she was very passionate about by going to: www.utahhumane.org Then click on "Make a Donation; Then click on "Thinking About a Donation". Please donate "In the Memory of Kari Ghaffari" Funeral Home: Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary-Murray 4760 So. State Street Murray, UT