Mrs Razia Husaini Passes away

Mrs Razia Husaini, former Principal of Islamia College for Women, Lahore, Pakistan passed away on January 17, 2016 in Sunnyvale, California where she had been living with her son Hammadullah Husaini since 1989.

Mrs Razia Husaini was born in Hyderabad, India. She was the only girl among the four siblings. Her father was a Mathematician who worked in the Bureau of Translation at Osmania University. Her mother was very well versed in Urdu literature. Her eldest brother, Late Dr Shamsuddin Siddiqi, was the Head of the Urdu Department, Peshawar University. Her other elder brother Dr. Moinuddin Siddiqui is a retired Professor of Statistics at Colorado State University. Her younger brother Dr Waheed Siddiqee is a retired Lockheed Engineer and a long time San Francisco Bay Area resident.

Mrs Husaini migrated to Lahore, Pakistan along with her mother and three brothers in 1949. She got her MA in Urdu Literature from Punjab University in 1952 and worked as a Lecturer at Islamia College for Women, Lahore for over 25 years. She was then appointed as the Principal of the College and worked in this position until her retirement in 1989.

She was married to Mr. Syed Ahmedullah Husaini in 1953, a lawyer by education, with a long career in journalism and public relations with United States Information Service in Pakistan.

In 1989, Mr. and Mrs. Husaini migrated to the USA where they lived with their son Syed Hammadullah Husaini. Mr Ahmedullah Husaini passed away in 1998 after a short illness. His death deeply affected her. During the past eight years, Mrs. Husaini’s health had been deteriorating steadily due to multiple health issues.

She was a deeply religious person and was blessed to have performed Hajj in 1996. During her long academic career, she had inspired and touched the lives of a large number of students and colleagues who still remember her fondly and with respect.

She breathed her last on January 17, 2016, and was buried in the Five Pillar Muslim Cemetery in Livermore, California. She is survived by a son, a daughter, and six grandchildren.

May her soul rest in peace and God grant the bereaved family courage and fortitude to bear the loss. (Ameen)