Obituary
Oscar Behzad, 89, beloved husband of 61 wonderful years to Marion Sherman-Behzad, devoted to his 4 daughters, three sons-in-law, two granddaughters, a brother, many nieces and nephews and their families. Oscar came as a student from Iran in 1958 and settled in Chicago, later moving to Arlington Heights, where he lived the rest of his life. Over his long and storied career in blood banking and immunohematology, Oscar saved many lives in Chicago and across the region: He oversaw blood banking at the American Red Cross and various hospitals, trained several generations of students, and was a pioneering researcher and developer in the freezing of blood and blood platelets. In the 1980s, he was a key figure in helping to bring new blood testing for HIV to labs and hospitals fighting the AIDS epidemic. He also served as a courtroom expert for newly developed blood paternity testing. Graveside service Friday 2 PM at Shalom Memorial Park, 1700 W. Rand Road, Arlington Heights. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The American Federation For Aging Research (afar.org). To leave condolences and for information, including zoom link to view service: (847)255-3520 or www.shalom2.com