Surrounded by his family and friends, Parviz Gohary passed away on Sunday, April 3rd.

Parviz was born in Kermanshah, Iran on December 9, 1932 to Kareem and Belghaiz Gohary. He was married to Mary Juliet for 59 years before her passing on August 13, 2020.

Parviz completed his early years of schooling in Kermanshah. He attended the Iranian Military Academy where he earned a Bachelor of Science, and subsequently joined the Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF).  He was selected as one of the first Iranian pilots to attend the Air War College in Montgomery Alabama in 1975/76.

Parviz grew up in a very close-knit family.  He was the youngest of four children.  Despite the Iranian revolution in 1979 which scattered the family across the world, Parviz maintained strong bonds with his brothers and sisters: Effat, Ezat, Esmat, Amir, Mahin, and Faroukh.

Parviz had a very competitive spirit and as a child, Parviz was always taking risks. That same risk-taking mindset led him to become a fighter pilot.  He had an illustrious career in the IIAF.  Parviz rose quickly in the Air Force and his accomplishments included over 5800 hours of flying and flight certifications for the F-14, F-5, F-4, F-86, and T-33.

The biggest challenge of his career came in 1970 when he was transferred to the isolated Bushier Air Force base on the Persian Gulf where he was assigned to lead an inexperienced squadron of pilots. With unceasing focus and optimism, Parviz turned this challenge into a success.

In 1971 when he came to Tehran with his squadron to compete in the annual "Top-Gun" event, his squadron excelled. Parviz won the overall individual event and was awarded "Top Gun" by the Shah of Iran. In 1977 he was promoted to Brigadier General and became the Isfahan base commander.  Parviz was the youngest General in the Iranian Air Force.

One of Parviz's proudest moments was his leadership in securing the evacuation of 4000+ US citizens out of Isfahan at the height of the 1979 revolution.  As the revolution escalated Parviz was forced into hiding for several months before he was able to commandeer a secret escape out to the US.

Anyone who interacted with Parviz was captivated by his infectious positive energy. He was a person who loved music, dancing, and getting together with family and friends.

When Parviz landed in San Antonio in 1980, he quickly began building a new life.  He owned and operated a men's haberdashery for several years before moving into Real Estate. We cannot speak about Parviz without mentioning his love for card games, particularly "Texas Hold'em." Over the years, it became obligatory for his grandchildren to learn poker.

In 1960 Parviz met Mary Juliet Cherin, a college student at Our Lady of the Lake College.  The two married and lived in Iran with their children, Jim and Julie, until 1978 when the family moved to San Antonio.

Parviz leaves behind his son and daughter-in-law, Jim and Theresa, his daughter and son-in-law, Julie and Walt, and his 10 grandchildren, Sarah, Kavon, Sabrina, Adam, Anna, John, Leilah, Jake, Josh, and Tamirat.

Parviz and Mary were both cherished role models for the family.

May they rest in peace.

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