February 15. On this date in 1980, Hasan Balyuzi was buried at the New Southgate Cemetary, near the grave of Shoghi Effendi and future grave of Maliheh Afnan.

February 15. On this date in 1980, Hasan Balyuzi was buried at the New Southgate Cemetary, near the grave of Shoghi Effendi and future grave of Maliheh Afnan.

Born in 1908 in Shiraz, Hasan Balyuzi was an Afnan from both sides of his family. In 1925, he met Shoghi Effendi while traveling to Lebanon to study at the American University of Beirut Bahá'í], where he was present at the same time as some his cousins Munib Shahid and Soheil Afnan. In 1932 Balyuzi went to London where he studied diplomatic history at the London School of Economics. He would make is career as broadcaster in the Persian Section of the BBC.

In 1933 was elected as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Great Britain, a post he held until he retired in 1960. He was, later, also a member of the Auxiliary Board and in 1957, appointed a Hand of the Cause of God.

In 1941 he married professional ballerina Mary (Molly) Brown with whom he had five sons (Hushang, Robert, Felix, Richard and Simeon).

He died on February 12, 1980. On February 15 he was buried at the New Southgate Cemetary, near Shoghi Effendi's grave. On February 12, 2015, Hasan Balyuzi's wish that his enormous collection of papers and books be made available in a research library “for the benefit of all who seek knowledge” was fulfilled with the opening of the Afnan Library.