Carmeline Victoria Khazei

Carmeline Victoria Khazei, CRNA, 77, of Bedford, NH died July 16, 2011 at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester. Carmeline was born in Kittanning, Pennsylvania on March 16, 1934. The daughter of Antina Mantini Picardi and John Picardi, who immigrated from Italy, Carmeline was raised in Kittanning, surrounded by a loving and caring, extended Italian family and many close friends. She relished in spending time with her grandparents Augusto and Anita Mantini who also immigrated from Italy. Carmeline attended Catholic schools where she was a star student, and worked as a model in her youth. She graduated nursing school at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburg, PA. in 1955, and received her degree in anesthesia from Mercy Hospital in 1959.

Carmeline contemplated joining the Convent before falling in love with her husband to be, Amir M. Khazei, a practicing surgeon and oncologist. They met in the operating room and married in 1959. Their first son Alan and daughter Darla were born in Pittsburgh. In 1963, the Khazeis moved to Boston where Carmeline encouraged her husband's dream of pursuing cancer research while supporting their family as a nurse anesthetist. In Boston, they had two additional children, Mia and Lance. In 1968, the Khazeis moved to Bedford, NH where Carmeline had been a resident for the past 43 years.

In New Hampshire, Carmeline continued her nursing profession as a certified registered nurse anesthesist. A gifted healer, she held a variety of nursing jobs. For a while she worked the night shift so she could be with her children during the day. She worked as a visiting nurse and in the psychiatry ward caring for the mentally challenged and distressed. Carmeline loved children and also worked as a school nurse at Peter Woodbury School in Bedford and with disadvantaged youth at a youth development center in Manchester.

While juggling her own work, Carmeline was a full and dedicated partner to her husband who's career took on many prominent, volunteer positions including serving as President of the New Hampshire Medical Society and serving for many years on the National Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society.

But Carmeline's favorite role, job and title in life was "Mom." She loved raising her children and enjoyed welcoming her children's friends into her family as if they were her own. Carmeline Khazei was known for her deeply loving heart and kindness for everyone she met. She saw the goodness in people and inspired everyone who knew her to reach their potential and become the person they wanted to be. She was a deeply devoted mother and grandmother. Carmeline embodied the word "love" and taught everyone to say "I love you" to the special people in their lives, not just every once in a while but regularly and often. For Carmeline, love was boundless, powerful and everlasting.

Carmeline was an amateur artist, encouraged creative pursuits, was friends with people from all walks of life, and had an infectious sense of humor. She often reminded people, "I've never seen a U-Haul behind a hearse." Carmeline wanted others to understand that you can't take it with you and it's more rewarding to give more than you get. She was a communicant of St. Elizabeth Seton Church in Bedford.

Her children stated, "Our Mom was a great woman because she was a deeply good woman. She taught all of us the extraordinary power of unconditional love. She will be profoundly missed by everyone who knew and loved her, but the light of her love will continue to shine brightly in everyone she touched."

Carmeline is survived by her devoted husband of 52 years, Amir J. Khazei, M.D. of Bedford, NH; four children, Alan Khazei and his wife, Vanessa Kirsch, of Brookline, MA, Darla Khazei of New York, NY, Mia Khazei of Bedford, NH, and Lance Khazei of Venice, CA; two grandchildren, Mirabelle Khazei and Reece Khazei; a brother, John Picardi and his wife Debbie of Kittanning, PA; several nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated Saturday, July 23, 2011 at St. Elizabeth Seton Church, 190 Meetinghouse Rd., Bedford, NH. Burial followed in Bedford Center Cemetery.

Donations in Carmeline Khazei's memory can be made to City Year, www.cityyear.org, 287 Columbus Avenue Boston, MA 02116 or to the Animal Rescue League of NH, 545 Route 101, Bedford, NH 03110