Marian Fathi

Marian Melinda "Nina" Sullivan Fathi was born in Austin, Texas on January 18th, 1947. Although in Texas only to the ages of 3 or 4, she and her aunt Jeanette "Nane" Richards moved to Brazil to live with very good long-time friends, until returning to Texas years later. It was there, in Brazil, that she learned to speak and read Portuguese as a first language, re-learning English upon returning to the states. Moving back, she was able to reunite with her mother, sister, brother, and aunt in Luling, Texas. Melinda "Nina" attended elementary school in Luling, then junior high and high school in Austin, Texas; she continued living in Austin as she entered the University of Texas and onward.

Her new found interests motivated her to join The Peace Corps; simultaneously traveling to The US Virgin Islands, and having met people from all over the world and through so much of her life that were introducing new languages, her courses of study included Teaching, Art, and of course...Languages! She became a lifetime student. She obtained a Bachelor's Degree with Honors; she was certified to teach French, Spanish, and Portuguese, while speaking some German, Swedish, and Persian herself outside of that.

It was around that same time that she met Farid Fathi - the manager of the Santa Rita Apartments near the campus where she lived. For the next 50 years, they spent their life together, marrying on January 23rd, 1979.

Melinda (Nina) loved life. She loved languages, the arts such as knitting, decoupage, crafting, cooking and trying out new cultural recipes; She played the guitar, accordion, bongo drums, as well as having a beautiful singing voice. She even took Belly-dancing! She loved the people in her life: Loraline, Carmen, Elaine, Barbara, Joni, Regina, Gazielle, Suzanne, Sandra, and many more...these became enriching lifelong friendships. She loved her church at St. Elias' Greek Orthodox Church in Austin, Texas, where she attended every Sunday for 35 years until her health prevented her from being able to visit in person in her later years. Although she was not able to attend church, her faith never faltered. She put her full trust and faith in Jesus Christ, whom she is now with! She loved her family...survivors include, husband Farid; nieces Debbie (and Pat) Wilson, Lisa (and Jay) Elliott, Stacey (and Marc) Kurth; nephew Billy (and Melissa) Ligon, Dane (and Maria) Sullivan, and nephew Marshall Sullivan, as well as numerous children and grandchildren. Additional surviving relatives include brothers-in-law Foad and Vahid Fathi, sisters-in-law Soraya Brezyar and Toranch Rezvani, along with all of their spouses and children.

Family members gone before her are her Parents, Sylvia and Jerry Sullivan; Aunt Jeanette "Nane" Richards and Uncle Wray: Sister Jeanette and William Ligon; Brother Wray Sullivan, and Aunt Pat Conklin. Additionally preceding her passing is Mother-In-Law Ghodsi Fathi and Father-In-Law Gholam Husein Fathi, along with his wife, Tahereh.

She was wonderfully fun, involved, unique, as well as most beloved sister, aunt, daughter, and friend to us in so many memorable ways...

To Farid, she was his lifelong companion, for better or worse. "The most beautiful, loving, giving, kindest soul I has ever met, to this day!"

We praise God for you, Nina. We love you...until we see you again.

John 3:15-16

That all who believe may have eternal life in Christ Jesus. For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son; that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.