Moving memorial

Family and friends gathered at the Darbe Mehr in Toronto on May 3, 2009 at the memorial service to pay homage to "a revered and beloved community leader…Ervad Yezdi Antia.”

On behalf of the Zoroastrian Society of Ontario Daraius Bharucha had taken the lead to organize this service. He acknowledged the efforts of "special individuals who helped establish and nurtured the identity of an emerging diaspora community,” noted a report by Dinaz Dotiwalla carried in the ZSO newsletter of June 2009. In her keynote speech Phee Vania reminisced of Antia’s personal life while Dinshaw Kanga commended his professionalism as an engineer and his capacity for change that he displayed throughout his career. Dr Jehan Bagli summed up his accomplishments as a priest and the impact he had on a young diaspora community in Toronto while Kevin Mancherjee artistically put together a video montage that vividly portrayed pictures of his life. Representatives from the Interfaith Mosaic group, Scarborough Missions Interfaith division and St Andrew’s Lodge referred to his contributions to their respective organizations.

Twenty priests had earlier recited an appropriate prayer service and interspersed between the speeches were musical contributions by the Zoroastrian Iranian choir conducted by Shahram Bastani that sang two beautiful hymns from the Gathas, a flute recital by Kaipa Bharucha, and the children’s choir conducted by Dotiwalla, singing All things bright and beautiful as a tribute to Antia’s love for nature, music and children.

His invaluable contributions to the community were recognized with a plaque presented to his sons Zahir and Raiyomand. After a brief closing prayer and concluding remarks by ZSO president Sam Vesuna, each participant came up with a flame as a symbol of the everlasting light of Ahura Mazda in whose glow their beloved Antia would reside, thereafter echoing his favorite phrase, "God is great.”