July 6, 1947 - May 25, 2022
In loving memory ~
Zulfikarali Charania, popularly known as Zuli, passed away peacefully on May 25,2022 with his family by his side. Funeral services and celebration of life were held in Nanaimo on June 06, 2022. He was laid to rest at Cedar Valley Memorial Gardens. Zuli was born on July 6, 1947 to Hassanali and Jennabai Charania in Kampala, Uganda.
Zuli is survived by his wife Nasim, sons Faizal (Hina) and Tharin (Carina), grandchildren Cienna, Marcus (mother Wendy) and Hassan, brother Altaf (Hanifa), sisters Kharoon and Parvis in the UK. Anyone who met and got to know Zuli, knew him to be kind, smart, educated, intelligent and dedicated to his family and also to the endeavors he was undertaking and pursuing.
After completing high school in Kampala, he attended Nottingham University in the UK and thereafter pursued a degree in Marine Biology at Auburn University (the college of Sciences and Mathematics), Scotland, UK. He than returned to Kampala and taught Mathematics, Science and Physical Education at Aga Khan High School.
Zuli was not only an exceptional academic but also an exceptional sportsman. He played basketball for the regional team of Uganda and refereed visiting teams from overseas.
In 1972, when Idi Amin decided to expel all visible minorities out of Uganda, Zuli and his wife of just 2 weeks were lucky enough to obtain visas to immigrate to Canada to start afresh.
After living in Uganda for most of their lives, Zuli and Nasim landed in Vancouver, Canada on October 8, 1972.
He briefly worked at the University of British Columbia in the Forestry Department. He very soon realized that opportunities in his own area of expertise and studies were few and far between. He took short courses in computer science and got a night time job at a Data Centre with one of the Major banks.
His work ethics, dedication and intelligence led him to climb up the ranks at the Data Centre and ended up as a trainer for Data Centres in Winnipeg, Calgary, Regina and Toronto in just 3 short months, while still working out of the Data Centre in Vancouver.
To gain better consistency with a young family, he moved on to the branch level in different parts of British Columbia. Starting in Terrace (Administration Manager), Kitsault (Branch Manager), Campbell River (Commercial Manager), Lake Cowichan (Branch Manager), and finally to Duncan. He then specialized, lending to farmers on the island servicing bank clients from Victoria to Black Creek and Gabriola Island.
Zuli loved to travel and spend a whole lot of time with his family, especially his grand children. He retired from the bank in 2002 and joined Nasim at Nasim & Associates Realty in Lake Cowichan. He worked with Nasim as her right hand until his health took a down turn. And passed away with his family by his side at The Jubilee Hospital in Victoria,BC. INNA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAYHI RAJI'UN (verily, we belong to Allah, and verily, to Allah we shall return). We have lost a beautiful soul! He served his family, his faith community, his professional family and community at large. May his soul rest in eternal peace, Ameen. He will be so missed!
The family kindly asks that in lieu of flowers please consider donating to the kidney foundation.