Roohi Siddique

I did not want this blog to become an obituary column. The last two posts were about my father and his cousin. However, I cannot in my right mind pass on the opportunity to memoralize the life of my friend and wife of dear univesity of engineering and technology (UET) Lahore alumnus Mohammad Siddique,

On August 18, 2008, I was driving some where in Pennsylvania enroute from Toronto to my home in Maryland that I got a call from my son that Roohi and her sister Tahseen died in atraffic accident in California. This was shocking and beyond belief. My wife Tanzila got really crazy on hearing the news becuase she like so many in the community considered Roohi their best friend.
Roohi and Tahseen died on August 17 were the victims of a head on collision by a young driver who was tring to overtake the car infront of him on a single lane road. I like many hundres of Roohi's other friends pray that Allah make it easy on her in the grave and raise her among the lucky ones who will go to Paradise.

Roohi was born on December 5, 1951 in Pakistan. She graduated with an MA in Pakistan studies from the famous Quaid Azam University in Islamabad, Pakistan. Thereafter she taught at a preparatory school in Islamabad until she got married on December 11, 1979 to Mohammad Siddique and moved to USA. She is survived by her husband of 29 years, son Yasir who is at dental school in Maryland, daughter Shabina who his doing her residency in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins, and two grand kids.

The last time I met Roohi was a couple of weeks earlier before her death. She came with her husband for a meeting I had arranged for the UET alumni at my home. She came at the door and said and jokingly said that she was not invited but she decided to come; however, she can leave if I want her to. Of course we would never let her leave. She was the life of the party. This was in evidence during her funeral prayers which was attended by more than thousand persons. Talking to some of them, I found out that all of them considered her as their best friend.

The thing I most admired in Roohi was her optimistic view of life. She lived the life to full. She always had a smile on her face. She was the one who can be counted when you were in need of support. She transfered these traits to her kids and many other kids she used to take care of at her home.

Her love of Politics and Pakistan was in evidence at every fundraiser for the politicians or functions of the Pakustan association. She or her husband Mohammed Siddique were the main orgainzers of the Pakistan Association. She was an ardent supporter of the democratic party and involved with the local politicians. It was unusual to Montgomery County Isiah Legette and other county officials to be present at her funeral.

I will like others who read this blog to leave their comments here. I will update the blog from these scomments at a latter date.