Notable nonagenarians

"Punctuality and discipline” have helped Dr Dara Marchant cross his 90th milestone. For Nariman Contractor, "Plain living and high thinking is the elixir of life” that has ushered him past the portal of four score and ten. To Ervad Jal Karkaria, the philosophy of "eating, enjoying and being merry,” has led him to the ninth decade of his life.

These three nonagenarian Zoroastrian stalwarts of London who were born in the same year as His Royal Highness Prince Philip were privileged to walk up to the stage and receive a special memento at the hands of the Duke of Edinburgh when he graced the sesquicentennial celebrations of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE) at the Zoroastrian Centre on October 6, 2011. In a subsequent brief chat with Parsiana, the trio recounted the highlights and philosophy of their life.

Medical mission

"I was in the colonial services in the ministry of overseas development going around different colonies as medical officer,” sums up Marchant, a pediatrician, who has made London his base since the last 30 years. As advisor to the World Health Organisation he was required to travel around most of the colonies in Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America. But when he and his wife Freny realized that their daughter Betty’s education was getting affected, the good doctor opted to relocate to London. When working in the Caribbean, theirs was the only Parsi family and Betty did not get a chance to see any other Zoroastrian. "After her navjote she became more attached to the Zoroastrian religion than I,” says the father.

Back in London, Marchant accepted work with the Healington Health Authorities. When serving as locum at London’s Heathrow Airport he remembers being summoned to differentiate between small pox and chicken pox as the British doctors were not familiar with tropical diseases.

Jhansi born Marchant graduated in science from Agra’s St John’s College after which he earned his medical degree from Lucknow and gained experience at Bombay’s Masina Hospital and as health officer at the Calcutta Port. His specialization in pediatric care and industrial diseases was undertaken in London. "Since childhood I have been fond of children. I don’t like any child to cry,” says the pediatrician.

Discipline and punctuality are bywords for the doctor, whether at home now or interacting with patients earlier. Even in his retired life his day invariably starts at 5.30 in the morning with breakfast exactly at 8.30 and ends at 10 in the night. What happens if a meal is delayed? we ask. "I lose my temper,” he candidly responds. Eating at a fixed time "increases your longevity,” he believes, giving the rationale, "all body secretions are released in time to digest it all.”

This year the couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary and as at all social functions hosted by the Marchants, guests know that they are expected to be on time or they will get only leftover food!

With Betty, a qualified chartered accountant and lawyer staying in Canada with her husband Dr Jehangir Appoo, a heart specialist, the parents try and attend functions organized by the ZTFE as also the Zoroastrians of South London. Gardening is another activity that delights the doctor and he takes pride in the nearly 70-80 varieties of roses and exotic plants that they cultivate. Donating to deserving causes, freely and anonymously, according to Freny her husband practices the maxim, "The left hand should not know what the right hand gives.”

From left: Naju and Ervad Jal Karkaria, Dr Dara Marchant, Prince Philip, Nariman Contractor, Malcolm Deboo and Freny Marchant

Sugar substitute

"I used to make ice creams, soft drinks and squash for the royalty,” says Contractor, a microbiologist by training. Residing in the UK for over 50 years, the former Dadar Parsi Colony resident mentions that he came to London "for betterment of my future.” Working for Eldorado Ice Cream and SmithKline Beecham at different times, he remembers that he was required to use substitutes for sugar and potassium when specially instructed by the Buckingham Palace.

After retiring as a microbiologist he spent some years working in the garment trade firm City Swingers owned by Keki Panthaky. Currently he enjoys the time that he spends on gardening. His main hobby though is doing crosswords and sudokus. Being fond of traveling Contractor declares he "loves wildlife. I enjoy seeing all programs of David Attenborough.”

His wife Ruby is a founder member of the World Zoroastrian Organisation and their son Percy is a design consultant and cookery demonstrator.

Viewing himself as "an extremely liberal person,” Contractor adds, "I am indeed sorry to see our small community quarreling. If we unite it would be so nice.” A staunch Zoroastrian to whom daily prayer and the wearing of sudreh-kusti is important, Contractor has no reservations about "spreading the religion of Zoroaster.” In the present scenario, as he candidly admits, he does not know whether his grandchildren will find a spouse "from Manchester or Manchuria.”

Pursuit of prayers

Former cargo supervisor with Air India, Karkaria has made his home in London since 1967. After retiring from Air India he worked with the Russell Square University for five years where he was entrusted the task of checking marks on papers that had been evaluated.

Since 1990 he has been serving as a priest to the UK community and says that he is required to perform some religious ceremony "nearly every weekend and sometimes even on odd days.” Describing the Zoroastrian community in the UK as "excellent,” Karkaria adds that members are "very helpful.”

Prior to relocating to London Karkaria was in Mombassa where he "worked in the docks and practised as a priest.” His training as a navar-maratab was in Navsari, says Karkaria acknowledging the guidance and mentoring he received from senior priests Ervads Hormusji Kotwal and Eruch Karkaria.

Although he is happy to participate in interfaith prayer sessions, Karkaria is firm, "according to my conscience I do a navjote ceremony (of a child of an interfaith couple) only if the father is a Parsi.”

Whilst acknowledging the support of his wife Naju, Karkaria takes pride in the accomplishments of his son Darius, a computer engineer who serves as information officer for ZTFE and daughter Shernaz Kapadia who works as a secretary.