Mohamed Merchant

FAISAL KUTTY

Husband, father, brother, friend, mentor. Born July 1, 1936, in Trichur, Kerala, India, Died Dec. 17, 2006, in Malton, Ont., of esophageal cancer, aged 70.After about two years in college preparing for medical school, realities of life caught with Mohamed Merchant and forced him to earn a living. Starting out as a driver, he went on to become a doctor's assistant and then a pharmacist before coming to Canada in 1972. Like many of the newcomers he later helped, he initially entered the job market as a security guard and then did a stint as an old-age home nurse. The last 20 years of his working life were spent as a chemical plant operator. Sadly, the cancer diagnosis came within three years of his retirement.