FATIMA GHIACY entered eternal rest peacefully on February 4th at home. Fatima was born on May 25th, 1935 in Charikar, Afghanistan and moved to London with her family in 1977. She lived an interesting and beautiful life. At the age of 16, she married Abdul Raouf Ghiacy and soon had her two sons. Soon after that she and her young family moved to London, UK for her husband’s work. Not one to sit and do nothing, she, with no knowledge of the English language, enrolled in the prestigious Morris School of Hair Design in London and received her diploma. Upon her return to Afghanistan four years later, she opened the country’s first hair and beauty salon in Kabul and was soon hired as Her Royal Highness Queen Homaira’s regular hair stylist. In the years to come, she trained many other stylists and built a flourishing business with a reputation that precedes her. As communism infiltrated the Afghan government ahead of the Russian invasion in 1977, she and her family moved permanently to London, leaving many extended family members behind. Once settled in London, Fatima again opened her own salon which thrived for many years until her retirement in 1982. In 1989, along with her husband and youngest child, Fatima moved to Los Angeles, CA to be closer to her daughter. After many happy years there, they moved to New Jersey (via 10 years in Alexandria, VA) to be closer to her youngest daughter and grandchildren. After the passing of her husband in 2014, Fatima took residence at The Chelsea at Tinton Falls assisted living facility where she made many friends and was visited by her children and grandchildren frequently. 

Throughout her life, Fatima strived to ensure her kids got the best education because she did not have access to it herself. She was overly generous with those she knew and those she had just met. There wasn’t a problem that she could not impart the perfect dose of wisdom on. She will be remembered by all for her luminous beauty and her cheerful wit.   

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ghulam Datageer and Bibi Qumri Dastageer, her sisters Bibi Hoora, Bibi Shireen and Bibi Uzra, her brother Abdul Qader Dastageer, her husband Abdul Raouf Ghiacy and her daughter, Laila Zafar.

She is survived by her sons Sabour Ghiacy (Sophia) of Danville, CA and Zaki Ghiacy (Sharon) of Surrey, United Kingdom; her daughter Homeira Ghiacy Walter (Matthew) of Monmouth Beach, NJ; grandsons Nicholas Ghiacy, Andrew Ghiacy, Matthew Juden, Tim Juden of London, United Kingdom, Teague Walter of Monmouth Beach, NJ, Rafael Ghiacy, Zakary Ghiacy of Danville, CA, Bilal Zafar of Potomac, MD: granddaughters, Laura Ghiacy (Preeya Naul) of Los Angeles, CA, Alexandra Dow (Nicholas) of Woking, United Kingdom, Pari Walter, Leela Walter of Monmouth Beach, NJ; Anisa Ghiacy, Valentina Ghiacy of Danville, CA, Roya Zafar, Potomac, MD: great granddaughter Sienna Florence Dow;  close friend and caregiver Rosy Perry of Monmouth Beach, NJ.  

There will be funeral prayers for Fatima at 1:30 pm on Tuesday, February 7th, 2023 at ADAMS Center,    49603 Sugarland Road, Sterling, VA 20164 and she will be laid to rest after at Mount Comfort Cemetery, 6600 S. King’s Highway, Alexandria, VA 22306.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in her memory to Afghan Literacy Foundation at www. afghanliteracy.org/support-our-cause/