Mahsa Farsad

Mahsa Farsad, late of Sunnyvale, California, passed away on August 5, 2025, after a battle with postpartum depression and psychosis.

Mahsa was born on June 24, 1986, in Mashhad, Iran. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Sharif University of Technology, and later completed a master’s and Ph.D. in Optical Science and Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She began her career at PerkinElmer and Veeco before joining KLA Corporation as a Senior Optical Design Engineer, where she worked for four and a half years.

Mahsa was outgoing and gregarious. She enjoyed connecting with people and cherished spending time with those she loved and who loved her. She married her husband on June 6, 2015, and gave birth to their son, Deion Farsad Lyon, on July 30, 2024. She was kind, intelligent, witty, compassionate, adventurous, and caring.

After moving to the United States, Mahsa changed disciplines and earned a master’s and Ph.D. within four years. Fulfilling her dream of living in California, Mahsa secured a position that allowed her to relocate and establish the life she envisioned. Mahsa felt that she had accomplished all her goals; she had a loving husband, owned a home, and took pleasure in connecting with friends, often calling them at night to catch up. She also loved horseback riding.

Mahsa is survived by her husband, Jeffrey Michael Lyon; her son, Deion Farsad Lyon; her parents, Mehdi Farsad and Sima Mozafari; and her siblings, Ali, Maryam, and Ramin Farsad. A celebration of life to honor Mahsa will be held on September 5, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Alta Mesa Memorial Park, 695 Arastradero Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94306. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Postpartum Support International. Contributions can also be made to Deion's college fund through Ugift529.com using the gift code 59P-N48.