Authors: Ben Ruhe
Date Submitted: August 31, 2002
Article Type: Journal

Reza Ragheb, of Aurora, Colorado, died last April after a brief illness. He was 67.

Ragheb won worldwide renown for his beautiful kites and was the mentor of many Southwestern kitefliers, including Scott Skinner, president of the Drachen Foundation, who lived near him.

Born in Tehran, Ragheb moved to the U.S. as a teenager, but returned to Iran in l969 to establish a construction machinery business. When the Islamic Revolution occurred 10 years later, he and his family left Iran for good, first to London, then to the U.S.

“He didn’t have a job, no business,” recalls his widow Helen. “That’s when he took up kiteflying, and he loved it! When we came to Denver, he saw how outdoorsey everybody here was, saw the marvelous weather, and decided to open a kite store.” Ragheb’s Hi-Fli kites in Aurora, well advertised in kite magazines, became a magnet that drew kite fans from around the world. He made everything from small, delicate kites to huge, elaborate ones costing thousands of dollars. Everything he turned out was elegantly made and marked by his unusual, memorable color sense.

PDF Link: Journal Issue