Abdul Zia, 77, a retired Laurentian University history professor and community leader, died Jan. 2 after a brief illness.
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Abdul Zia |
Zia was a founding member and former president of the Sudbury Multicultural Folk Arts Association, an organization which helps immigrants new to Canada and Sudbury.
He was also a member of the university faculty association, the Sudbury Senior Citizens Association, the Police Race Relations Committee and and numerous other community groups. He an active member of the Sudbury Islamic community.
Zia was born in India where he was educated and taught briefly. He obtained his PhD at the East-West Center of the University of Hawaii. He was a Fulbright Scholarship winner and was invited to the White House to meet President John Kennedy.
Later he studied at the School of International Studies at John Hopkins University and taught for 12 years at Sind University in Pakistan before coming to Sudbury. He retired in 1991.
He is survived by his wife Naseem, three children and four grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at the Sudbury Mosque Sunday.
The Dr. Abdul Zia Bursary has been established.
