December 28, 1954 - December 6, 2020
Shahab Salehoun passed away peacefully at his home on Sunday, December, 6th, in Dallas, Texas, after a short illness. He was surrounded by his loving family. He will be remembered by many as a man of action, loyalty, and generosity, who possessed strong work ethics and principles. His mission in life was to take care of his family, which through hard work and dedication he accomplished fully. His purpose was sharing and giving. His passions were many: art, poetry, philosophy, travel, music. He traveled the world collecting antiques and artwork to fill his home with beauty. Not only was he an avid art collector, but he kept a studio in both his home and office where he painted. A generous host by nature, Shahab loved to entertain family and friends at both his homes in Dallas and Carmel-by-the-Sea, where the conversation was always lively, the food aplenty, and the wine glasses never empty. It is fitting to mention here a passage from the writer Khalil Gibran which always gave Shahab consolation and which he loved to share: “And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?”
The eldest son of Abbas and Sonia Salehoun, Shahab was born in Tehran, Iran. His father was a well known publisher and his mother a registered nurse, who dedicated her life to helping others and charitable organizations. As a young man he dreamed of coming to the United States. Following his graduation from preparatory school at the age 18, he eagerly moved to Houston, Texas, where he attended the University of St. Thomas, graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy. It was a time when many Iranians immigrated to the United States to escape political turmoil, including his future wife, Zohreh Malek. They married on January 10th, 1981, in an intimate ceremony at the home of his professor and mentor, Dr. Douglas Mitchell. Soon after, they began their family while both pursuing their careers. Zohreh excelled in her profession as a computer programmer, and Shahab learned the automobile sales business from the ground up. After more than a decade of working in the automobile industry, Shahab moved his family to Dallas where he laid the foundation to establish his own company. In a short period of time his firm would be listed every year in the Top 150 Dealership Groups in the US, where it still remains.
Shahab was preceded in death by his father Abbas Salehoun. He is survived by his mother Sonia Salehoun, his wife Zohreh Malek, his son Darius Salehoun, his daughter Roxana Salehoun, his son-in-law Michael Orona, his granddaughter June, his sister Shohreh Salehoun of Vancouver Canada, and his brother Shahin Salehoun of Houston, Texas, and his beloved dog, JuJu.
Online condolences can be made at Sparkman-Hillcrest.com.
For those wishing to make a memorial contribution, the family suggests with gratitude they be directed to St. Jude Children's Hospital.
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