Daphne Ghorbani

Dr. Daphne Schaal Ghorbani died August 19, 2016, in Bismarck North Dakota of pancreatic cancer. Daphne was born to Allen Theodore Taft Schaal and Mary Ellen Doerner Schaal on the open and expansive prairie of western North Dakota on July 10, 1948. Daphne graduated from Beach High School in 1966, and completed her bachelor’s degree of English education from the University of North Dakota in 1970 and a master’s degree in education from the University of Mary in 1995. In an act of glorious procrastination and endurance, she completed her Ph.D. in teaching and learning in higher education at the University of North Dakota in 2006. A world traveler, Dr. Ghorbani also studied abroad at Royal Holloway College in Egham London in 1973 and was selected for a Fulbright-Hayes Fellowship to Pakistan in 1973. Daphne began developing her art as an educator in Wolf Point, Montana in 1971, then on to Tongue River High School in Dayton, Wyoming, followed by a year teaching at Iranzamin High School in Tehran, Iran. After being evacuated from Tehran with the fall of the Shah in 1979, she made her way back to North Dakota and began teaching at St. Mary’s Central High School in 1980. In 2000, she was hired at the University of Mary where she taught in the education department until her death. In reference to her teaching philosophy she ever succinctly wrote, “On the whole, I prefer knowledge over ignorance.” She was never a woman concerned with numbers, but even she would be impressed to know she educated more than 5,000 students over 40 years of teaching. Daphne was a committed supporter of social justice and the arts. She served for many years on the Human Relations Committee in Bismarck. In 2012 she ran for, and lost, a seat representing District 30 in the state legislature’s House of Representatives. She hosted an arts talk show on Community Access called ArTView and served and supported many other professional and community based organizations. She lead two mission trips to Guatemala with the God’s Child Project, taught in Rome for the University of Mary, and chaperoned more school dances and trips than anyone should ever have to attend. She did it all with joy. Daphne is survived by her daughter, Shireen Ghorbani, her son-in-law, Nick Steffens, and grandson Desmond Steffens (all of Salt Lake City, Utah). She is also survived by her siblings, Dr. Mike Schaal and Linda Kadrmas of St. Paul; Deborah Schaal of Chicago; and Charles and Geri Schaal of Beach. She was preceded in death by her parents. A celebration of Daphne’s life is scheduled for Saturday, August 27 from 2-3 p.m. at St. Mary’s Central High School. A reception will follow at the high school. She will then be interred in the family plot in Beach, North Dakota on Sunday, August 28. In lieu of flowers or other acts of appreciation, please consider donating to the Daphne Ghorbani Tuition Assistance scholarship that has been established in her name at St. Mary’s Central High School. You can donate online at http://bit.ly/2baeahC or mail donations to Office of Mission Advancement, Daphne Ghorbani Tuition Assistance Scholarship, 1025 N. 2nd St., Bismarck, ND 58501.