Biography
INNA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAYHI RAJI'UN
How do you write about a man who was larger than life, filled a room with his presence, and spoke so eloquently it touched people’s spirits? Mohammad Humayun Morshed lived vivaciously for 85 years of life. He came into this world in the small village of Murshidabad, India as the only son with 5 sisters. He adored his mother and worked diligently to make his father proud. He was immensely proud of the strength, integrity, and honor of his heritage, which he expressed through his vivid and lively storytelling of his family.
After Murshidabad, he attended school at St. Xavier’s College in Kolkata, India where he was passionately committed to his studies and achieved the highest marks. His studies were interrupted by the partition of India, which prompted an arduous journey for him and his family as refugees to East Pakistan. Dad was no stranger to struggles, but through it all, he stayed steadfast to completing his education and reaching remarkable career heights. He started his career at James Warren and was especially proud of his time as a Charted Public Accountant in the Port Authority of Chittagong and as the Chief Accountant of Mobile Oil Company in Tripoli, Libya. This not because of the prestige, but because in these positions he advocated for value-based business ethics and helped countless people access opportunities. After Libya, he immigrated to the U.S. for his children’s studies. He soon realized that it was difficult to find a job with a non-US degree. At the age of 50, he worked during the day and went to school at night to pursue a business, CPA and law degrees. He worked tirelessly to support his family and prosper. He did not allow his struggles and suffering to define him, instead he used them to propel him forward into his wisdom and brilliance.
In addition to his work, he loved many things…food (and we all know how much he LOVED sweets!), culture, religion, history, travelling, reading, music, singing, dancing, tennis, dad jokes (the ones that are not really funny but he would laugh at before he finished, which made everyone else laugh), Bollywood movies, wrestling (yes, wrestling) and so much more. He was a voracious learner and curious about everything, which was one of his many endearing qualities.
Most of all he loved to laugh, love, and LIVE. He is known for his boisterous laughter that reverberated in people’s hearts and made everyone laugh with joy. He had an infectious smile and talked with everyone; no one was a stranger and he could talk about anything. He loved connecting with others from a simple smile to engaging in authentic and heartfelt conversations that left people feeling inspired and loved. Everyone was a friend, and everyone felt special to him. He is affectionately known to many as Morshed Bhai because he guided, supported, protected, and provided for countless family members and friends as a big brother or father figure. He loved supporting his religious and cultural communities, but truly he loved humanity.
He would say his greatest pride and joy was his wife Ayesha; his children Ahmed (Tipu), Sharmin (Zahra), Tarek, Tanya, Taimur, Wen; and his grandchildren Zain, Ayaan, Asia, and Sarrinah. Out of all his numerous achievements, his family was his greatest. He especially loved children for their innocence, curiosity, sincerity, and purity of heart, so it is no great surprise that he felt deeply happy when he spent time with his beautiful grandchildren. We were blessed to spend numerous years with Dad, and during his final days and hours. He left this earth the way he lived: peacefully, comfortably, and surrounded by love.
Dad’s infamous 3 points of advice for a vibrant and fulfilling life would be:
- To know the true meaning of faith, you must love.
- To love, you must be of service to others.
- To live fully, you must have faith.
Thank you for your constant love, prayers, and support for Dad and our family. You all are a part of our family and we are deeply blessed to have each of you in our lives. The richest gift is love, and we are humbled by the abundance we have received. Mom and Dad would not have lived so lovingly without you. Please continue to pray for our Dad’s soul to be blessed and be with Allah. His favorite place was being in harmony and in the presence of Allah.
“Rabbighfirli waliwalidayya warhamhuma kama rabbayani shaghiran”
My lord, forgive my sins an the sins of the father and mother, have mercy on them as they love me when I was a kid.
Ameen.
