December 26, 2022 in Saanich, British Columbia, from cancer.
Born in Tehran, Iran, Ani grew up in the Pacific Northwest and earned her undergraduate degree at ºìÌÒÊÓƵ before completing a master’s degree from OHSU and a master’s in social work and an MD from the University of Illinois. After completing her residency in family medicine at the University of Ottawa, she settled in Sudbury and Little Current, Ontario, as a rural family physician. With their growing family, she and her partner, Anthony Minniti, moved to Victoria, British Columbia, in 2009, where she took a job as a medical advisor at WorkSafeBC. Both as a doctor and as a researcher, Ani was treasured for her calm, compassionate care, her meticulous attention to detail, and her willingness to explore and push for new knowledge.
Ever curious, always learning, Ani savored life’s tastes, sounds, and stories (from sci-fi to classics to Lord of the Rings). She was a movie lover, inexhaustible researcher, lifelong musician, and passionate cook. On a typical night she might create a robust Persian dish, play violin with her daughters, and end the evening watching a Japanese anime film with her family.
Ani is survived by her life partner and best friend, Anthony Minniti; her daughters, Beata and Ava Ariana-Minniti; and her sister Proochista Ariana.