Matt Mohammad Farzanrad

The suspender-sporting, wise-cracking, life-of-the-party, "Big" Matt (Mohammad) Farzanrad passed away Thursday morning, March 9th, 2017, after a long and intense battle with heart disease. He would have turned 75 on March 21st. Some would say he had a "bad heart" but his family and friends would say he had a valiant heart, strong enough to fight heart disease for so long while loving all of us in a grand fashion.

Matt was born in Tehran, Iran and lived there through high school, which he would often skip to go see American movies starring his favorite icons, Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, and John Wayne. Armed with this romantic picture of the western world, he was determined to study abroad and was the first in his family to do so. He continued his education in France, eventually enrolling at the Universit de Montpellier, where he met Lola Margaret Taylor of Clearfield, PA, who he described as his very own Marilyn Monroe. They later married in Clearfield, PA on January 31, 1969 in the middle of a crazy ice storm, probably a warning of wild times ahead.

Matt continued his studies, first becoming a good machinist, and then in 1975 he earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Lowell Tech in Massachusetts. Matt then moved his family to Iran, where he started two textile factories with his knowledge of machinery and engineering. His factories were a success, employing over 150 people, but the political climate in Iran changed drastically with the revolution. Matt moved his family back to the USA, where he hoped for better opportunities for his now sizable brood of five children.

After a sunny vacation with the kids in Florida and with the alluring promise of year-round sandals, they finally settled in Daytona Beach, FL. Always the entrepreneur, Matt and his friend Reza Afshari became partners in a Dunkin' Donuts franchise. Matt also continued to work with his family in Tehran, traveling back and forth between the two countries, and raising his kids along the way.

Matt was a lover of all the finer things in life. He would often say, "I am international man" because he was well traveled and curious. He loved culture and fine cuisine, but he claimed no meal anywhere in the world compared to his wife's cooking. Also, Matt took fashion cues from no one, with a look often involved the ever-present suspenders and a fiercely pressed button down shirt, bold print.

In 2004, with the sudden and tragic death of his best friend and younger brother, Reza, he found himself spending more time in Iran on business. Matt above all loved to stay connected with his family and friends, and to make them laugh, and thanks to video calling, Matt was able to reach them from anywhere in the world, keeping both his lectures and his jokes alive. He excelled at giving advice, and his motivational lectures are legendary, his most repeated, "Be there for each other, in this life, support each other."

Matt is survived by his mother Fatimeh Motahari, his wife Lola Taylor Farzanrad, his daughters Mandana Carry, Ariana Jorissen, Katyana Lundeen, and his sons, Matthew Farzanrad, Christopher Farzanrad, and his grandchildren, Katherine Jorissen, Oz Lundeen, and Liv Lundeen.

Arrangements entrusted to Lohman Funeral Home Ormond. Condolences and memories are welcome to be shared with the family via this online guestbook.