Sooria Sarhad

Sooria Sarhad was born on August 19, 1920, in New Britain, Connecticut, to parents Absolom and Nozlo Baba. She passed away on December 9, 2023, at the age of 103 at St. Thomas Retirement Center in Turlock, CA. She attended local schools and graduated from Turlock High School in 1939, where she met her life-long friend Rhoda Abraham Johns. She married John Sarhad in August 1940, and they had two sons, Ron and Bob. John passed away in 1981 and Ron passed away in 2017. Sooria was a homemaker and enjoyed her work as a seasonal cannery worker. She was born one day after women in the United States received the right to vote on August 18, 1920. It’s not surprising she had a keen interest in politics, consistently voted in elections, and was an election worker for Stanislaus County Elections Department. In 2018, when it was time to renew her driver’s license at age 98, she received 100% on the written exam and her license was renewed for another five years – that was a happy day. Into her early 90s, she was still going to the gym at 6:00 am each morning to walk on the treadmill. Sooria was a person of faith, a true friend to many, and was always ready to extend a helping hand to those in need. She was somewhat of a self-made social worker who helped many friends and relatives from the old country (Iran) assimilate into their new lives in Turlock. She was a great cook and expressed herself through her cooking. She had a large vegetable garden and grew her own grapevines which she used to make large batches of delicious grape leaf dolma. Sooria graciously hosted many gatherings in her home over the years and stayed socially active until her life end. Sooria is predeceased by her parents, husband John, son Ron, sister Julia Campbell, and brother John Baba. She is survived by her son Bob and daughter-in-law JoAnn, daughter-in-law Linda Bunney-Sarhad, and grandson Jonathan. She was a second mother to her nieces Carolyn, Janice, Patricia, and Dorothy. A funeral service is scheduled for 10:00 am on Thursday, December 21, 2023, at Turlock Memorial Park, main chapel, 425 N. Soderquist Rd., Turlock, CA.

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Sooria Sarhad

August 19, 1920 - December 9, 2023