Dr. Robert R. Moheban, affectionately known as Dr. Mo, passed away unexpectedly, but peacefully, with his beloved family by his side on October 16, 2023. He was the son of Haskel and Khanom Jaan Moheban and was born and raised in Tehran, Iran in a large and loving family. He attended medical school in Tehran, with French instruction, and moved to the U.S. in 1956 to pursue his medical career. He completed his general surgery internship and residency, as well as his vascular/thoracic fellowship, at several Harvard teaching hospitals in Boston. During his training, Robert became chief surgical resident, a teaching fellow and he also met his wife of 62 years, Cynthia, who was a nurse.
Robert became a board certified general and vascular/thoracic surgeon and practiced in Nashua, NH for 35 years. He established a private surgical practice affiliated with St. Joseph’s Hospital and Memorial Hospital (Southern New Hampshire Medical Center) where he became Chief of Surgery, Chairman of the Surgical Department, Director of the Trauma Service and President of the Medical Staff. In addition, he served on or headed numerous professional committees and boards at both Nashua hospitals before and after his retirement. He was considered one of the most skilled and compassionate surgeons in the region and he collaborated with colleagues throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts. He selflessly provided advice and guidance to fellow physicians and those in training. His family enjoyed learning that an Executive at Blue Cross/Blue Shield traveled to Nashua for medical care because, according to the BC/BS records, he was not only the busiest surgeon in the state of New Hampshire, but he also had the lowest complication rate. At his retirement celebration, a Hospital Administrator said that God had touched his family through Robert’s hands. He provided care to all regardless of their ability to pay and never turned away a patient in need of surgical care. He truly loved his career and never complained about the long hours or being called out in the middle of the night. Robert was happiest performing some of the most complicated medical procedures and his commitment to excellence and compassionate care was one of his greatest gifts.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Robert was a successful real estate developer and admired for his community service and many philanthropic contributions. He was the cofounder of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua and a long-time board member where he established the Moheban Family Scholarship Fund. A percentage of this endowed fund is distributed annually to deserving club members who are furthering their education. Robert enjoyed meeting the recipients at the annual luncheon and hearing about their future plans. He received the annual “Man and Boy” award for his mentorship. He has also been an active member of the Lions Club for over 50 years and was recently presented with a life membership. In addition, Robert was a member of the Board of Directors for Home Health and Hospice for over 15 years, an organization that was dear to his heart. He had great respect and admiration for the hospice workers and considered them angels. He was a board member of the New Hampshire Cancer Society, where he was part of the Commission on Cancer, and was a Cancer Liaison Physician for the American College of Surgeons. Robert could also be found volunteering at the local soup kitchen where he found great satisfaction helping those in need. All of these contributions culminated in Robert receiving the Humanitarian Award from the Nashua Charitable Foundation for dedicating countless hours of his time and energy to various charities. One of his proudest moments was being selected, as a Community Hero, to carry the Olympic torch through the streets of Nashua for the 1996 Cross Country Olympic Relay. Lighting the cauldron in front of a cheering hometown crowd of 40,000, which was one of the largest crowds along the route, was a thrill and an honor.
Robert’s greatest achievement was raising his loving family with his wife Cynthia by his side. They were married in 1961 and had 4 beautiful children followed by 9 adoring grandchildren. He was the patriarch of a large extended family who turned to him for advice and guidance. One of his proudest gifts to his family was building a vacation home on Cape Cod where the family frequently gathered and created lasting memories. He had a special bond with his children and all his beloved grandchildren. In addition to large family vacations, “Papa” took his five grandsons and his four granddaughters on annual separate special trips to Grand Cayman. His family will cherish forever the last trip they all took with him to Greece this summer where he enjoyed every moment of “togetherness.” Robert had an incredible zest for life which was filled with fun and adventure. He went on an African safari in his late 80’s where he captivated people from all over the world with his charm and charisma. He was unfailingly kind and unforgettably magnificent with the purest of souls. Robert left a beautiful legacy filled with love and generosity. He was larger than life with a vibrant personality and he knew how to make everyone he met feel special. He will be missed by all that were blessed to have known him.
Robert is survived by his wife Cynthia Olenik Moheban, son Steven Moheban, daughter Susan Moheban Russo and her husband Paul, daughter Dr. Carol Moheban, daughter Kara Moheban McLoy and her husband Jason, and his beloved grandchildren Michael, Nicholas, Sophia, Paul, Isabelle, Jack, Olivia, Jake and Brooke. He is also survived by an extended loving family including his sisters Ehteram (Farokh) Shayani, Parvin Cohen, Dokhi Sassooni and her husband Saeed, and his brother Dr. Mansour Moheban and his wife Louise. His beloved older sister, Mohtaram Zagaroff, predeceased him.
Robert will be laid to rest on October 20, 2023 with a private service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in honor of Robert to The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua (www.bgcn.com), Home Health and Hospice Care in Nashua (www.hhhc.org) and The Nashua Lions Club, PO Box 3361, Nashua, NH 03061.
The Farwell Funeral Service, 18 Lock Street, Nashua is assisting the family with arrangements. To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.farwellfuneralservice.com
