Elyas Darvishzadeh

Elyas Darvishzadeh passed away peacefully at home in Oklahoma City on December 31, 2023. Elyas was born in Abadan, Iran, on January 1, 1952, to Esmaeil and Zahra Darvishzadeh. Elyas left Iran and came to the United States in 1976 to pursue further educational and professional opportunities. First landing in New York, he eventually made his way to Oklahoma. While working at the First National Bank, he met Gayle Hobbs, the love of his life. They married on May 12, 1978, in Oklahoma City.

Elyas’s three sons – Jason Abbas, Amir, and Arash – were his true pride and joy. This last November, Elyas had become a grandfather for the first time when Arash’s and Kychet’s baby Azad Armin Darvishzadeh was born.

Elyas enjoyed entertaining and being the life of the party, spending time with family and friends from his local Iranian community. A talented chef, Elyas showed his love for his family and friends by cooking meals large enough to feed a small army. One could never leave his house without copious amounts of food to go, and everyone was welcomed. Elyas’s generosity was a blessing and memory we cherish and seek to cultivate in ourselves.

Beyond spending time in the kitchen, Elyas loved watching sports of all kinds, listening to Persian music, and gardening. He was a veteran of the Iranian army and became a U.S. citizen in 2008.

Elyas is survived by his wife of 45 years, Gayle; sons Jason Abbas, Amir, and Arash, all of Oklahoma City; grandson Azad; brother Mohamed and sister Shala of Iran; and several nieces and nephews. Elyas is preceded in death by his parents and four brothers and sisters, all in Iran.