yesterday i found out that my uncle (my mom’s brother) passed away on june 6, 2016. atique mamoon lived in london most of his life. he was an outstanding student and athlete at government college, lahore, where he excelled at soccer, field hockey and squash. he joined the pakistan air force and later emigrated to the UK. he was a dashing, debonair man, an intellectual who read voluminously and appreciated art and beauty. the love of his life was a german woman, gaby wolff, whom he met in london in the 70s and who shared his passion for travel and scholarship. they decided not to have kids and lived a cosmopolitan, unorthodox, and fully-realized life together.
but my eternal gratitude for atique mamoon’s independence of mind stems from something personal. my grandfather died when my mom was a mere child, soon after the 1947 partition. when it came time for her to go to college, the family had to consider all the expenses involved in sending her off to lahore. but atique mamoon, who was still a young man getting started with his own career, committed to supporting her education at his alma mater, the prestigious government college. that’s how my mom ended up graduating from GC, and meeting my dad, who was her classmate there. my siblings and i wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for atique mamoon’s belief in education and his unwavering love for his little sister. may he rest in peace. surely we belong to god, and to god we return.
