Coping with Grief
We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. Enter your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. Messages run for up to one year and you can stop at any time. Your email will not be used for any other purpose.
Dr. Mehdi S. Eslami, 90, of Southbury, Connecticut passed away peacefully, with family by his side, on November 8, 2020 after a brave battle with COVID-19. He was the beloved husband of Judith A. Eslami.
Dr. Eslami was born in Kerman, Iran on September 1, 1930, son of the late Mohammad and Zahra (Morshedi) Saghatoleslami. He was the youngest of his father’s sixteen children.
Dr. Eslami graduated from Alborz College and studied medicine at Tehran University Medical School, graduating in 1957. He arrived in the United States in 1958 for his Internship at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn. Dr. Eslami completed his Residency in Radiology at Hospital for Joint Diseases and his Residency in Radiation Therapy at Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases, both in New York City. He then completed a Fellowship in Diagnostic Radiology at Long Island Jewish Hospital. Dr. Eslami was certified by the American Board of Radiology: Radiology and Nuclear Radiology.
He moved to Connecticut in 1963, practicing on staff at both Waterbury Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital. Dr. Eslami established a private radiology practice in 1964, later known as Diagnostic Imaging Associates of Waterbury, where he practiced for almost 40 years before retiring in 2002. Radiology was not only his vocation but his passion. He brought the latest diagnostic equipment and technology to the community and served many thousands of patients with his dedication and expertise.
Dr. Eslami was a Fellow of the American College of Radiology, a member of the Radiological Society of North America, and a member of the Radiological Society of Connecticut. As an active supporter of organized medicine, he committed his efforts to groups with a statewide and national scale. Dr. Eslami was former Chair of the Connecticut Delegation to the American Medical Association, former Chairman of the Board of Connecticut Medical Management, Inc., former President of the Connecticut State Medical Society, former President of New Haven County Medical Association, former President of Waterbury Medical Association, founding Board Member of Connecticut Medical Insurance Company, founding member of Connecticut State Medical Society/Independent Practice Association, and a lifetime member of the American Medical Association.
A humble, kind and generous man, he was blessed to have a long and exceptional life filled with close family and loyal friends. He was the family patriarch, fiercely intellectual, mentor to many, and deeply dedicated to his community. He was a lifelong lover of learning and stayed current with cutting-edge medical literature. Even in retirement, he was a constant source of reference for those with medical questions and concerns.
He enjoyed immersing himself in the latest and greatest technology: cameras, computers, and all things electronic. He read the New York Times every day on his tablet from the sunniest spot in the house, keeping up with local and international news. An astute investor, he closely followed the stock market and spent hours researching new investment ideas. He loved grilling outside, even during snowstorms, and was famous for making his Iranian rice.
Dr. Eslami traveled to Iran every year for the past 20 years, visiting his many family members and meeting with dignitaries in government and religion. Dr. Eslami proudly served as the head of a 100-year old Kerman-based philanthropic family foundation committed to healthcare, care of children and women’s education.
Above all, Dr. Eslami loved his family and was happiest when he was with them in person, by phone, FaceTime or on Zoom. He lived to spend time with his children and grandchildren, teaching them to play backgammon, participating in putting puzzles together, sharing his ideas on finance, guiding grilling techniques, and quietly listening to the chatter in the room. He and his wife Judith, often with young Cyrus, enjoyed decades of national and world travel.
Left to honor his legacy and to forever cherish his memory are his wife Judith; two sons, Cyrus Eslami of New York City, and Behruz Eslami, PhD and his wife Ingrid Westerhoff of Zurich, Switzerland; two daughters, Jenifer Eslami, Esq. and her husband Gary Scalabrini, Esq. of Manhattan Beach, CA, and Michelle Eslami, MD and her wife Jodi Friedman, MD of Los Angeles, CA; his beloved grandchildren, Javid Eslami, Daniel Eslami, Jonathan Scalabrini, Isabella Scalabrini, Sara Friedman and Anna Friedman. He is also survived by his sister Alameh Eslami of Tehran, Iran. Dr. Eslami leaves hundreds of loving nieces, nephews and cousins all over the world, many of whom kept in close touch. He was a soft-spoken, well-respected, brilliant gentleman. He made sure that his children and grandchildren knew that they could achieve anything if they put their minds to it and worked hard. He set an excellent example.
The family would like to thank the gentle care of Dr. Robert McDonald, Dr. Marc Rosenberg, Dr. Hector Pun and the nursing staff at Waterbury Hospital. We are forever grateful.
Dr. Eslami’s life was celebrated in a private graveside funeral on November 14, 2020 in Southbury, CT. Munson-Lovetere Funeral Home has been entrusted with all arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made in Dr. Eslami’s memory to Connecticut Community Foundation, 43 Field Street, Waterbury, CT 06702 or to The United Church of Christ, Southbury 283 Main Street North, Southbury, CT 06488.
To leave an online condolence please visit www.munsonloveterefuneralhome.com.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dr. Mehdi Saghatol Eslami, please visit our floral store.
The United Church of Christ
283 Main Street North, Southbury CT 06488
Web: http://https://www.uccsouthbury.org/giving
Connecticut Community Foundation
43 Field St., Waterbury CT 06702
Tel: 1-203-753-1315
Web: https://conncf.org/