Oakbrook Terrace businessman remembered for his warmth

Although his family is proud to have 13 doctors, Firouz Hosseini Tehrani took his own route when choosing a career.

The Iranian-born man decided computers were his passion and worked for 25 years to create his Oakbrook Terrace-based software company.

"He loved computers," Tehrani's wife, Eileen, said Thursday. "He just thought it was fascinating to be able to put something in and get a response."

Tehrani, 64, of Wheaton, died June 12 of glioblastoma, a brain tumor. A memorial Mass will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday at St. Daniel the Prophet Parish, 101 W. Loop Road, Wheaton.

Tehrani moved to the United States with his parents at age 17 and attended Wayne State and the University of Michigan.

"As a foreigner coming into this country, he did quite a bit," Eileen said. "They knew he'd get a better education to go to college here."

Tehrani's father had both a Ph.D. and a law degree, and his mother was a dentist, so education was very important to the family.

After he finished school, Tehrani started Systemetrics Ltd., a software company that serves companies such as Pepsi and Motorola.

Although he was very accomplished in his field, Eileen said her husband remained humble.

"He was very engaging, very warm," she said. "You could tell there was a caring heart. People for some reason gravitated to him; they loved talking to him because he was extremely intelligent."

Tehrani also spoke multiple languages, including Farsi, Arabic and French. He used those skills to become a translator after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Eileen said Tehrani was enraged that innocent people were killed.

"He loved his country," Eileen said. "When he heard the national anthem, he actually would cry."

Tehrani still kept up with news in his native Iran and Eileen said he would be glad to hear of the revolution spreading through the country after the recent elections.

Besides his wife, Tehrani is survived by his daughter, Mary, and sister, Susan Fortuna, along with many aunts and uncles.

Saturday's Mass will include music by the Wheaton Warrenville South Classics and Waubonsie Valley Sound Check show choirs.

Eileen said Tehrani loved to sing but couldn't carry a tune, so he supported local choirs as much as he could.

The family is asking that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN, 38105.