Vahed "Ted" Shekarforoosh

Vahed “Ted” Shekarforoosh was born the second son of Jalil and Esmat Keshtkar Shekarforoosh on March 21, 1951 in Marvdasht, province of Fars, Iran. His childhood was spent living between his parents’ homes located in Marvdasht, and the nearby city of Shiraz, Iran. He had three brothers and four sisters. While growing up, Vahed learned his business sense by helping his father sell Persian rugs and dry goods. He loved sports from an early age. He was a very active child. He especially liked participating in soccer, wrestling, tennis, and boxing. 

He attended all boy schools through high school. Once out of high school Vahed was required to serve two years in Iran’s military under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s government. It was during this time, while Vahed was on leave, that his brother, Kamal introduced him to Mark Peterson, and began learning about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mark Peterson was living in Shiraz with his wife and children while teaching English as a Second Language at the public University of Shiraz. In December of 1974, Vahed was baptized a member of the Church in a swimming pool in Tehran, Iran.

From about age 12 on, Vahed knew that he wanted to leave Iran. After he had completed his miliary obligation, he began applying to English as a Second Language Programs at Universities in the United States of America. Eventually he was accepted to Utah State University. Vahed arrived in the United States on August 5, 1975. Mark’s wife, Ginger Fowler Peterson’s parents Ben and Rita Fowler owned the Burger Bar in Roy, Utah. Vahed stayed with Ben and Rita for at least a month before going up to Utah State University for college. He visited Ben and Rita often. He also became close to Mark Peterson’s parents, Mel and Mary Fern and their family as well. Soon Vahed had a large extended foster family in Utah to love and to be loved by him.

Vahed was very active in Church. He often bore his testimony at Utah State. He often shared his conversion story in Sacrament Meetings. He always tried to be the best person he could be. In the early part of 1977, Vahed took out his Temple Endowments in the Ogden Temple. After this, Vahed and his future wife, Valerie Jane Gardiner saw each other every day in an Institute Class. Soon they began dating and became very close. Vahed married his wife, Valerie Jane “Janie” in the Salt Lake Temple on September 21, 1977. About a month later Vahed and his wife moved to Ogden, Utah to attend Weber State University. Vahed served as a Stake Missionary during the early years of his marriage. Vahed had a strong testimony of Jesus. He never gave up his testimony of the Church that he had converted to.

He and Valerie became parents to three children, daughter, Mary born in 1979; son, Camron born in 1982; and Armon born in 1984.

Vahed graduated with a degree in Manufacturing Engineering in the Spring of 1982. He worked in the aerospace industry for 14 years. After being laid off in early 1990s during a recession, he found a way to contribute to the financial well-being of his family by switching traditional roles with his wife, so someone could be available to care for Armon before and after school while Valerie taught school full time. At this time, Vahed was able to purchase distressed homes and improve them while also being able to attend to the needs of his youngest son Armon, as well as Mary and Camron, while Valerie was at work.

Vahed loved sports and became very good at playing Tennis. Vahed even taught tennis classes for Weber State University.

When his children were young, Vahed became very invested in learning Martial Arts, competing at a tournament, and winning first place.

During the Iranian Revolution, life became very unsafe for Vahed’s siblings and parents still living in Iran. During these tumultuous times, Vahed worked with the Office of Senator Orrin Hatch and Immigration to help his siblings and his parents relocate to the United States from Germany. He sponsored his siblings and parents’ applications to come to the United States by agreeing to provide shelter and other help to his immediate family members and he did this for many years.

Vahed had many good friends throughout the community. He was well liked and well loved. He always tried to be the best person that he could be in the best way that he knew how to do it. His desire to was to always help people in need.

On December 11, 2025, he passed away unexpectedly and suddenly. Throughout their marriage Vahed and his wife were an exceptional team. He and Valerie were married for 48 years and are the love of each other’s lives.

Vahed is survived by his wife, Valerie Jane; his children, Mary Jane (Andy); son, Camron Jay (Jennifer); son, Armon James; sisters, Effat (Mustofa), Nasrin, and Nahid; brothers, Behnam, and Shahnam Shekarforoosh; his grandsons, Joshua, Brock, and Wyatt Jorgensen; niece, Christina (Tony) Mitchell; nephew, Alex Gardiner; nephew, Jaqai Mickleson; three great-nieces and four great-nephews; brothers-in-law, Boyd, David, Kevin, and Jeffrey Gardiner. He is also survived by many members of the Peterson and Fowler families.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Kamal; his sister, Shamssi; his mother and father-in-law; his brother-in-law, Thomas Gardiner; two granddaughters, Sophia and Ava; and dear friends, Mark Peterson and Greg Haws.

But wait, there’s more folks. Nothing too fawncy (fancy).

To those that knew him they may be confused by reading he was from Iran, as he was never from the same place twice when asked. A favorite response of his when asked where was from was to say with a gregarious grin, “I’m from Sweden. Can’t you tell by my blonde hair and baby blue eyes?” He would even sometimes fluff his hair and bat his eyes to add to his witty charm. When pressed he would then continue to name any other country often starting with Japan and increased the ridiculousness with each subsequent answer. It also wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities for him to add Venus or Mars as answers.

He lived life by his own rules often to the embarrassment of his children and the more embarrassed they were by his antics the more he would double down with his smile growing with each passing moment. Early in life his children learned the value of finding creative solutions. His children and family also learned things aren’t always as they appear. That started when he surprised his kids with a “pet” goat for a Persian Celebration (For those that are still convinced he was Swedish, he was not). Much to their chagrin the beloved pet goat was only a pet for about a day before it was transformed into a delicious meal.

He was the Persian MacGyver. What can you do with an old tire, a swing set and a bicycle pump? It’s obviously an impromptu meat processing plant. He loved this story and would laugh until it hurt every time it was retold.

Followed by the goat were the “pet” roller pigeons. He was so excited and proud of his pigeons that he rushed home from work early to see them the day after putting them in the coup. When he walked through the door he exclaimed with pure joy, “You never would have guessed what I saw today on the way home. I saw a flock of pigeons flying back towards SLC.” His joy was short lived when he went to the coup only to find out the pigeons, he saw flying were in fact his.

He was a master of negotiation and linguistic gymnastics. As the saying goes, children are always watching. The evidence was his middle son full of sagacity at the ripe old age of 6 convincing his sister it was okay to open the coup and touch the pigeons because dad trusted her to put them in there with him. In hindsight, a 6 year doesn’t usually have the greatest wisdom.

The good news is not all of the pigeons were lost, thinking as fast as their dad, his daughter and son were able to save about half of the pigeons, and yes, the son got the opportunity to touch a pigeon.

This is not the end of the saga with the pigeons, please remember his penchant for creative solutions. His children were excited to see he was home early from work. When they walked in the most delicious scents met them at the door, however, the scene in the kitchen was anything but picturesque. There were bird feathers everywhere and for reasons he was never able to articulate the top of the stove was adorned with pigeon heads. Unfortunately, one of these heads belonged to his son’s favorite pigeon (Charlie, named in honor of his dad’s singing Canary). There is good news to this story, Charlie the pigeon was delicious.

Sometimes the best creativity cannot be explained, it has to be experienced, and what an experience it was know and be loved by him.

Humor was among the many gifts that came naturally to him and what an honor it is to share some of his most beloved stories with the world.

His youngest son also shares the gift of humor and his quick-witted nature. His youngest son is known for his one-liners and among the best is the time he delivered in perfect dead-pan, “Oh come on Big Chief Daddy Grumble-Butt.” It was met with an instant softening and laughter and that one-liner later became the codeword to pause and enjoy life.

Although he faced many barriers, his tenacity and work ethic allowed him to be creative and forge his own path always focused on finding success and a way to help others. Helping others was his calling in life. These lessons were passed to his older children, and both chose careers in helping fields, his daughter a schoolteacher and his son a therapist.

On the tennis court he would often say, “You’ll be famous by Friday!” as encouragement for a job well done.

He may not have been perfect, but he was a husband, a father, an uncle, a friend, and Persian and that is close enough.

Vahed “Ted” Shekarforoosh, you’ll be famous by Friday!

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 20, 2025, at 11 a.m. at the Burch Creek 5th Ward Chapel, 4855 Adams Avenue, South Ogden. Friends may visit with family on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd. and Saturday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church. Interment, Lindquist’s Washington Heights Memorial Park, 4500 Washington Blvd.