Obituary of S. Wasi Rizvi

S. M. Wasi Rivzi, 1930-2020Saiyed Mohamed Wasi Rizvi passed away peacefully in his home in Oakville at the age of 90. Born in Lucknow, he came from a family of poets; his great grandfather was Mir Anees. Orphaned at the age of 14, he was determined to pursue his education to ensure he remained independent. During this period, he lived with his good friend, Hafiz Ali Sabir, attending high school. He then went on to earn his BA and MA in English.At the age of 27, he married Alia Parvin and they had three children. He realized that opportunities for his children, especially his daughters, were limited in India at that time. His friend, Ishrat Naqvi, encouraged him by finding a teaching position in Canada. In the winter of 1965, he boldly left for Winnipeg, Manitoba with $5 in his pocket and a contract to teach. The rest of the family joined him in 1967.Teaching in a new country had its challenges. On the first day of school, he had to call out the students’ names to distinguish girls from boys. He taught at Elmwood High School for 20 years. He coached the girls’ field hockey team, and developed and taught the first psychology course at the school. He was loved and appreciated by his students for his authority, and for his willingness to listen; students would often drop by to chat with him after school. Even after he retired, his students kept in touch with him. He loved and enjoyed the life he had with Alia and his children. Thanks to his adventurous streak, he purchased a tent trailer as a means for exploring. Thereafter, every summer, on the first day of summer holidays, we would be off on long camping trips. He bought us skates and skis, signed us up for swimming, and allowed us to have and to attend birthday parties. He wanted us to be proud Canadians and to fit in to this new land, all the while ensuring we did not lose our culture, language and religion.Our papa was a loving and generous man, willing to share his prosperity with family and friends whenever he could. When newcomers to Winnipeg from India and Pakistan came into the community, our parents adopted them as family. The door was always open for chai and a supportive ear.He will be missed by his loving family: his wife Alia P. Rizvi, his daughters, Naheed Rizvi (François Martel), Shaheen Pirani (Mohamed Pirani) his son, Naiyer Rizvi (Nisha Chatani) and his brother-in-law Mustafah Shamimraz; his grandchildren who he cherished: Kamran, Imran and Rayyan Pirani, Michael and Sophia Rizvi-Martel; Nikhil and Jai Rizvi; and his grand nephew Sunny Husain, his grand nieces Deeba and Zeba who were very dear to him.Let us say farewell to our dear Wasi by reading an Urdu verse that he recited often, a testimony to the way he lived:Dear traveller, do not hesitate to go forth,A thousand trees will shade you along the way. (Loosely translated from Urdu)Safar hai shart musafir-nawaz bahutereHazar-ha shajar-e-saya-dar rah mein hai