Passing of Bill Shiri

It is with great sadness that I inform fellow Cathedralites of the passing our beloved Physics teacher Bill Shiri last week.

Bill and Pushpa

Staff photo 

Bill was especially loved by us 59ers. He travelled to India with his wife, Pushpa, in 2009 to attend our Golden Jubilee Reunion.

We joined Bill and Pushpa to celebrate his 85th and his 90the birthday.

Other 59ers as Narsys Irani and Viney Sethi have visited Bill and Pushpa in Toronto.

Thanks to late Hasnain Chinwala (Chinnie) Bill was always close to us, as Chinnie used to visit him frequently, carry news of us 59ers to him and then keeping us informed of dear Bill.

I give the email received from Pushpa about the funeral arrangements for Bill this Friday:

Hello, 

Below are funeral / viewing details for William (Bill) Shiri... 

• There is a web page from the funeral home with details about the viewing / funeral, and options for leaving condolence messages.
• There is a webcast streaming link for those wishing to view the service online (accessible from the web page.)

Andrews Community Funeral Centre Web Page:

• View details about the date(s) and location for the viewing and funeral here: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/brampton-on/william-shiri-11470932

William Shiri Obituary - Brampton, ON Celebrate the life of William Shiri, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information care of Andrews Community Funeral Centre - Bramalea Chapel. www.dignitymemorial.com



We welcome your presence either online or in-person. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. 

Pushpa.

I do hope as many of you who can take part virtually will do so.

May our dear Bill,  who educated all of us Rest in cricfree.io

Peace. 

Deepest condolences to Pushpa in their family.

An important chore completed this morning

Yes, I have been absent from all my blogs for quite some time. We have been through a few traumatic weeks, which I will blog about in the not so distant future.

But today is a different day!

Yesterday, Annikki and I visited Kuopio in central eastern Finland. The area is truly magnificent with lakes and forests everywhere. We are starting our new operations there as we expand the reach of Raantel Oy, the furnished housing company which is sky rocketing as a national enterprise. We have the Slovenian team of electrical engineers moving there shortly to erect the new Post Office Sorting Centre, a huge sophisticated high tech complex which will sort letters and packets for the whole of central Finland.

It was quite a successful visit. We covered about 700 km yesterday (up and down) and reached back around 21:30.

I am writing (with Annikki) a new book called "Inheritance Nightmare" a true story concerning the high level of corruption in Finland, quite contra to what Transparency international, the Swiss Organisation, have been reporting. I finished a couple of chapters, and after a bath, got to bed around midnight. The book will be published in a very short time in both languages - Finnish (by Annikki) and English (by me).

I was up before sunrise, which is now around 5 am (It has been changing by about 3 minutes every day since midsummer! Sunset changes by about 4 minutes a day reducing our daylight hours by about 7 minutes every day till we reach our "total darkness phase!)

There are a few of my alma mater friends, many whom I have never met in person, who have become dear to me over the years. 49ers Yezad Kapadia and Naval Patel, are two which spring to mind. They were the brilliant duo of 1949. If one did not get the prize, the other did!

After my morning ablutions i had to make a very important phone call - to speak to Mysore to wish Naval Patel a very happy 75th birthday. He picked up the phone on the first ring, so I was afraid I may have woken him up early on his birthday.

I have never "spoken" to Naval before, but he has spoken to me for many years with his wonderful emails and comments. He told me that the 75th birthday is not such an important milestone (unlike in Finland) and as the Parsi New Year had been celebrated on Wednesday, he had done his celebrations on that day.

We chit chatted for a few minutes. I hope to drop in on Armaity and him in end October on our Bharat Darshan. Mysore drives pleasant memories through my bones as I had a wonderful childhood there.

Happy birthday, Naval and may you have many many more. I do hope you will try to make it to Finland sometime soon.

Happy 90th birthday, Nelson Mandela

Happy 90th birthday to the world's greatest politician, leader EVER - Nelson Mandela. May he have very many more.

Copyright: Photograph from Dismantling Apartheid

He has taught mankind through his sincerity to his cause - the people of Africa.

Thank you Nelson Mandela.

Late P.S.: It is also the 18th birthday of my 59er counterpart, Green House Captain Harmohina Malik (née Uberoi). In my humble opinion, Harmohina was the most popular 59er girl in our school. Our very best birthday wishes go to her on this auspicious day she shares with Nelson Mandela.

Knowing how it feels to be LOVED!

Yesterday was a strange day. Joanna rang me early morning to tell me that I should take Samu to school as he was going downhill skiing and would I look after Daniel at our home as she had to go to town?

She was over before noon to leave Daniel.

Daniel, Annikki an I did several things including taking Daniel to the City dump to get rid an old TV and to the Tropical Spa to make sure the arrangements for one of our Indian Groups in Oulu were OK for the company party. When I came out of the Spa I found I had a flat tyre. As usual, my good friend, Kamu, in the spirit of CHAFF rushed to help me as I was not carrying my silicone foam repair kit.

Joanna rang me to tell me that she was very tired and would I keep Daniel till we picked up Samuel from the school and then came over so that we could go out for dinner to celebrate my birthday.

I passed by her house at about half past five and I was surprised to see Ildikó and Ilari's car parked in the driveway, but thinking that they were off for a holiday, they may have dropped in to say goodbye, it did not register. When I dropped in at the International Centre (Ville Victor) I was puzzled when Shahnaz said she would see me in the evening! Again, that did not register!

Well, the email I sent out today below explains it all and the composite picture made out of photographs taken by grandson Samu show some of the the people who made it such a great day for me.

Dear Findians, O-Indians, Chaff Participants, 59er Cathedralites, Other Cathedralites, Stephanians and many other friends all around the world,

Yesterday, I was given a great lesson - knowing how it feels to be LOVED.

As I reached the turning point to my senior years, the outpouring of love from all corners of this globe gave me a lesson which made me feel that a new era of my life is opening.

Thank you to all of you, some on the groups, others directly, others by text message, who took the trouble to communicate with me on my 65th birthday.

Ashok, as I took early retirement to help her look after Annikki's mother, I have been enjoying all the benefits and now move from half to full pension. So, I was already enjoying all the free benefits of a social security system I was taxed into the earth for when I was working!

From our daughter's family in England, Susanna, Chris and Asha, Hasnain and Willie in Toronto, Bill Patel in ???, Barbara from Italy, Ellis in New York, Ashok, Percy, Ooky and Rivca, etc., etc, etc., in Mumbai, friends from Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Chennai, Bangalore, Tokyo, London, New York, and of course Oulu, I received personal greetings. (Sorry I am not mentioning all of you as I still have not had the time to go through all the messages.)

It will take me some time to respond personally to all of you, but respond I will.

But the height of my birthday was a surprise party organised by my daughter and her husband in her home in Oulu. Neither Annikki nor I had a clue till we arrived at her home and found a string of cars parked outside. As I walked in, there was a steady stream of friends, a veritable United Nations, Australia, China, Finland, Hungary, India, Iran, Italy, Peru (in spirit), Turkey, Venezuela, trooping out to greet me.

Ilari gave a profoundly moving speech which had me in tears and Ildikó gave me the gift on behalf all the persons from so many organisations that I felt overwhelmed. I was in shock and was hit even harder by giving me a birthday present that I really love and need - a Canon Digital camera - so that the photographs on my blog and groups will improve! Burcu, Bala and Sameer gave me their own presents. Thank you all.

It was a bring your stuff party so we had some really great grub and the spread was enormous, so much so that Joanna forgot to take out the delicious chicken salad from the fridge!


Top Row: Joanna, Samu, Daniel;
Second Row: Ilari & Tony, Kiran & me, Andy;
Third Row: Shahnaz & Yrjö, Benjamin, Sreekanth, Ani with Maria;
Bottom Row: Elina & Ildiko; Burcu, Bill.
Missing: Annikki, Bala, Pooja, Mani and Anusha, Mathias, Sameer,
Vishu, Esa, Manuel, Osku

My sincere thanks to Joanna and Tony, Ildikó and Ilari, Pooja, Mani and Anusha (who drove down all the way from Raahe (80 km away), Shahnaz and Yrjo, Andy, Ani, Bala, Benjamin, Bill, Burcu, Elina, Esa, Kiran, Manuel, Osku, Sameer, Sreekanth, Vishu, nephew Mathias who just happened to be in Oulu, grandchildren Samuel, Daniel, Maria and above all my dearest of dearest, Annikki for making it such a wonderful birthday.

--
Jacob

Percy and Frainy Mistri

One of my most regular correspondents is globetrotter 59er Percy Mistri, and he is accompanied by his beautiful better half, Frainy.

Well, today is Frainy's 18th birthday, and I can share some pictures of Percy and Frainy along with 59er Ellis Hayeem and his gorgeous better half, Haya and their Indophillic son, Daniel.

Happy birthday Frainy, from Annikki and myself.

Here is an email from Percy:

Hello Jacob,

This is the latest on Ellis, Haya and Daniel Hayeem.







The pictures are taken by him and I am only the messenger.

But let me tell you Ellis hasn't changed much ....he is the same old Ellis a great guy to be with....has a lovely family ...his son son Daniel must have India in his genes as although he has never been to India he loves to speak and does speak Hindi and his favourite pastime is ....surprise surprise....playing the Tablas. He has a set and plays them quite well if you ask me.

Thanks to you, our families met and Ellis is a real warm generous host ......gave us a lovely Jewish meal (as per my request ) which Haya must have taken a lot of trouble and time to prepare, and it was really great to go back to what could be the best times of our growing up.

Keep up the good work.

Percy

One thing which strikes me and keeps me in wonderment is such goofy looking characters, as me, and a few others, who shall remain nameless, got such outstanding beautiful wives! :-)

Pushpa Shiri celebrates her 75th birthday

Happy 75th Birthday, dear Pushpa.

Many of you will remember Pushpa Shiri, wife of our much beloved Physics Teacher, William Shiri. Pushpa was also a teacher in the Girls School.



Today is Pushpa's 75th birthday. I have conveyed greetings on behalf of all 59ers to her.

Those of you who would like to directly send greetings to Pushpa, please do so to "Pushpa Shiri" (Replace at with @ symbol and leave no spaces before or after the symbol and the letters.)

Willie and Pushpa live in Toronto, Canada and have played host to many Cathedralites who have visited that city.